Amnesty International is demanding answers from Zambian and Mozambican authorities over the arrest and transfer of former Petauke Central Member of Parliament Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda to Zambia.
Banda was arrested in Mozambique on October fourteenth by a joint task force and subsequently brought to Zambia. He is reportedly receiving treatment in hospital.
The human rights organisation wants both governments to explain the legal basis for the operation, including whether extradition procedures and other safeguards were followed.
Amnesty has warned that people must not be transferred to countries where they face a real risk of serious human rights violations. It says such transfers could breach the principle of non-refoulement, which protects individuals from being sent to places where they face certain forms of harm.
The organisation is also calling on Zambian authorities to either facilitate Banda's release or establish lawful grounds for his continued detention before a competent court.
It has further urged authorities to arrange a medical assessment by a qualified health professional, provide confidential access to a lawyer and family, and disclose the legal basis for his detention.
The questions now centre on the circumstances of Banda's transfer, his current legal status and whether the authorities followed the required procedures.
