Zambia revokes passports of political critics and academics

Zambian authorities have reportedly begun cancelling or confiscating the passports of several prominent political critics and academics. The individuals affected include former Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba, academic Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, former Members of Parliament Binwell Mpundu and Emmanuel Jay Banda, former State House Special Assistant Kaizer Zulu, and blogger Lillian Mutambo.

While the government has cited “security concerns” for these actions, Amnesty International has condemned the move as a violation of international human rights law. Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, stated that weaponizing citizenship documents to target dissidents breaches the right to freedom of movement enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The organization described the cancellations as a way to strip individuals of their legal identity and trap them in a state of de facto statelessness.

Legal provisions within the Zambian passport state that the document remains the property of the government and may be withdrawn at any time, a fact highlighted by observers as providing the state with broad authority to act without providing specific justifications.