High Court Places Rizwani Patel and Others on Defence
The Chipata High Court has placed senior member of the Opposition Rizwani Patel of Petauke on his defence.
One of the accused, Simon Nkhoma was acquitted.
Authorities arrested Rizwan Patela Petauke mobilization leader for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party—alongside Joseph Phiri, Grey Daka, and Simon Ngoma in February 2024 over allegations that the assaulted Victor Kapungwe(Mr. Ground) and Chama Amelika (James Chama) supporters of rival faction leader, Miles Sampa in Petauke
The state initially slapped the quartet with severe charges of assault and aggravated robbery.
Opposition figures heavily criticized these charges as fabricated. They claimed the incident was a minor altercation involving political bloggers that the state amplified to target political rivals.
The four men were moved to Namseche Prisons in Chipata. They were held for over a year without their case being formally tried.
This continuous detention prompted heavy pushback from local politicians and human rights advocates. They labeled the group as political prisoners
High Court Places Rizwani Patel and Others on Defence
