NAIROBI (Kaab TV) – Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Khanyo Farise, has welcomed the High Court’s decision to overturn the guilty verdict on obstruction of justice charges against former Member of Parliament Job Sikhala.
However, Farise expressed concern over Sikhala’s prolonged pretrial detention, stating, “Job Sikhala should never have been detained in the first place.”
Farise decried the continuation of Sikhala’s imprisonment on what she termed as “baseless charges” of incitement to commit violence and disorderly conduct, characterizing it as a travesty of justice and a violation of his human rights.
She emphasized the broader issue, condemning the Zimbabwean authorities’ alleged weaponization of the law to suppress dissent and target activists and opposition figures.
In a call for immediate action, Farise urged the authorities to release Job Sikhala unconditionally, asserting that all charges against him should be dropped, as his detention is perceived as a consequence of peacefully exercising his human rights.
Job Sikhala, a member of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) party, was arrested in June 2022 following the funeral of political activist Moreblessing Ali.
While the High Court overturned the obstruction of justice conviction, Sikhala remains in prison on charges of incitement to commit violence and disorderly conduct.
Amnesty International contends that his detention is emblematic of the authorities’ efforts to silence dissent through legal means.