The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has raised concern over prolonged detention of suspects, with some people spending months or years in custody before appearing in court.
HRC Chairperson Pamela Towela Sambo says the Commission reviewed 100 alleged human rights violation cases during its third cases review meeting held from October 27 to 28, 2026.
Dr Sambo says 36 of the cases involved the right to personal liberty, while 47 concerned the right to secure protection of the law. She says the two categories accounted for 83 of the 100 cases reviewed.
She says three people were detained at Shang’ombo Central Police for about one year and seven months before their first court appearance. They remained in custody for a further two months and eight days after a court ordered their release because the prosecution had not served the order on the detention facility.
Dr Sambo says another person spent about nine months in detention on a murder charge before being released due to insufficient evidence.
The Commission has also found that a 14-year-old child in Choma was detained for 54 days over alleged theft, while two 17-year-olds in Namwala were held for 16 and 58 days, respectively, without appearing in court or being granted police bond. They were also detained alongside adults.
The Commission says such delays go against Article 13(3) of the Constitution, which requires arrested or detained persons to be brought before a court without undue delay.
Dr Sambo has since called on law enforcement agencies and other institutions to address the delays and ensure that the rights of detained persons, including children, are protected.
The Commission says 66 of the 100 cases reviewed have been resolved, while the remaining 34 are still under consideration.
By Mike Mwendachabe
