Human Rights Commission Expresses Grave Concerns Over Suspect Killings by Zambia Police
The Human Rights Commission has raised serious concerns over the continuous violations of the right to life by the Zambia Police Service. The Commission has observed an alarming trend of suspects being shot, tortured, or subjected to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment while in police custody.
The Commission has been inundated with numerous complaints of alleged violations of suspects’ right to life, and has been actively investigating these cases. Despite ongoing efforts, the trend persists, prompting the Commission to call for immediate remedial measures from the police service command.
In 2023, the Commission received multiple complaints of extra-judicial killings by the police, including deaths of suspects in custody at police stations in Nyimba, and in Lusaka’s Chilenje, Matero, and Munali areas.
The situation has worsened in 2024, with a male suspect dying from torture while in transit to the hospital from a police post in Mongu in the first quarter of the year. Additionally, two suspects died in custody at Matero and Kanyama Police Stations in April and May, respectively.
The recent shooting deaths of four suspects at Interland PUMA filling station in Lusaka’s Libala area have further escalated concerns. These incidents are part of a broader pattern of suspects dying from police shootings, torture, or other inhuman and degrading treatment.
The Commission acknowledges the Zambia Police Service’s constitutional mandate to maintain law and order and protect life and property. However, it emphasizes that this mandate must be carried out within the constitutional framework that upholds human rights.
The Constitution protects the right to life and other rights of every suspect, requiring that suspects be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction to determine their guilt or innocence.
Dr. Pamela Towela Sambo, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, reiterated that Article 18(2)(a) of the Constitution presumes a person charged with a criminal offence to be innocent until proven or pleaded guilty. This provision invalidates any justification for police officers to shoot or torture suspects.
While the law permits police officers to use firearms in compelling circumstances, this authority must be exercised within strict legal guidelines that enforce the right to life. The use of force must be minimal and proportionate, contrary to the police response to the attempted robbery at Interland PUMA filling station.
The Commission calls on the Zambia Police Service to immediately halt such killings and respect the right to life of all suspects.
The Commission further urges the police command to conduct thorough investigations into all highlighted cases and hold errant officers accountable for gross human rights violations.
