- Thread starter
- Staff
- #1
Dadparvar
Staff member
- Nov 11, 2016
- 9,614
- 0
- 6
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed concern Friday over a Zambian court’s interim injunction that blocks a media outlet from airing a investigation documentary on Chinese investments in Zambia.
The nation’s High Court granted the order following a lawsuit filed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia against the media outlet News Diggers. The lawsuit came in response to a two-minute teaser aired by the outlet on May 20. The court enjoined the release of the full documentary and warned that if it airs before a June 12 hearing, the media house could face contempt of court charges that carry penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of 300 kwacha (approximately US$12).
The legal action stems from concerns raised by Chinese commercial entities regarding the portrayal of their operations in Zambia. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce argued that recent reporting misrepresented their practices and requested judicial intervention to prevent reputational harm. The court will determine the merits of the case at the upcoming hearing.
CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo stated that the preemptive “censorship of News Diggers’ documentary is a stark reminder that press freedom is imperiled in Zambia.” She urged the authorities to support, rather than obstruct, public interest journalism.
The legal development adds to growing concern over Zambia’s regulatory environment for media and speech. In 2021, President Hakainde Hichilema enacted the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, which was criticized for granting broad surveillance powers to law enforcement and vaguely defining cyber-related offenses. Critics, including the U.S. government, warned that the law could be used to intercept all electronically transmitted data and chill legitimate journalistic inquiry.
Additionally, Zambia’s Penal Code Act retains provisions criminalizing defamation and sedition—laws that have historically been invoked to prosecute journalists and limit critical reporting. Combined with the cyber laws, these statutes have created an increasingly hostile environment for the free press.
As the case proceeds toward its June 12 hearing, civil society organizations and international watchdogs will be monitoring whether Zambia’s judiciary will reaffirm or restrict the space for free expression and accountability journalism.
The post Zambian court order and cyber laws raise concerns over press freedom appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.
The nation’s High Court granted the order following a lawsuit filed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia against the media outlet News Diggers. The lawsuit came in response to a two-minute teaser aired by the outlet on May 20. The court enjoined the release of the full documentary and warned that if it airs before a June 12 hearing, the media house could face contempt of court charges that carry penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of 300 kwacha (approximately US$12).
The legal action stems from concerns raised by Chinese commercial entities regarding the portrayal of their operations in Zambia. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce argued that recent reporting misrepresented their practices and requested judicial intervention to prevent reputational harm. The court will determine the merits of the case at the upcoming hearing.
CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo stated that the preemptive “censorship of News Diggers’ documentary is a stark reminder that press freedom is imperiled in Zambia.” She urged the authorities to support, rather than obstruct, public interest journalism.
The legal development adds to growing concern over Zambia’s regulatory environment for media and speech. In 2021, President Hakainde Hichilema enacted the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, which was criticized for granting broad surveillance powers to law enforcement and vaguely defining cyber-related offenses. Critics, including the U.S. government, warned that the law could be used to intercept all electronically transmitted data and chill legitimate journalistic inquiry.
Additionally, Zambia’s Penal Code Act retains provisions criminalizing defamation and sedition—laws that have historically been invoked to prosecute journalists and limit critical reporting. Combined with the cyber laws, these statutes have created an increasingly hostile environment for the free press.
As the case proceeds toward its June 12 hearing, civil society organizations and international watchdogs will be monitoring whether Zambia’s judiciary will reaffirm or restrict the space for free expression and accountability journalism.
The post Zambian court order and cyber laws raise concerns over press freedom appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.