The Human Rights Commission is extremely concerned at what seems to be the way of interrogating suspects by Zambia Police Officers where they beat and torture suspects as can be seen in a video circulating on social media in which a suspected child offender was handcuffed and put on what is commonly known as kampelwa, hanging upside down from a metal rod, while being interviewed by officers in an attempt to extract a confession and identify or locate other persons believed to have been connected to the offence that was allegedly committed.
The Commission strongly condemns the torture and ill-treatment of the child and is gravely concerned that police officers who are supposed to uphold the strictest standards of professionalism could resort to torturous, cruel and degrading methods of interrogating suspects. Officers are supposed to investigate and bring suspected criminals before the courts of law for their fate to be decided, and not turn to verbal and physical abuse, torture or mistreatment of suspects in trying to maintain law and order.
Therefore, the Commission calls upon the Zambia Police Service to quickly investigate the matter and discipline any officer who would be found wanting.
It is worrying to note that the culture of torture and ill-treatment of suspects seem to have taken root in the Zambia Police Service as it has been observed by the Commission during its continued monitoring of places of detention in the country. The Commission, therefore, calls upon the Zambia Police to quickly take serious measures to stop any acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of suspects by officers as such acts are prohibited by the law and may seriously erode public confidence in the Zambia Police.
(Original Signed)
Simon Mulumbi
Principal Information Officer
Human Rights Commission