Justice organisation calls for pardoning of 10,000 inmates at jubilee

—Age Justice International has called for a golden pardon of more than 10,900 prisoners during the country’s 50 years of jubilee celebrations.

Age Justice International Executive Director, Phillimon Phiri, said pardoning prisoners who have rehabilitated and are not a danger to society will help to de-congest the country’s prisons which are currently accommodating about 17,038 inmates instead of the required 6,100.

Mr Phiri said in a statement availed to ZANIS that the congestion in the Zambian prisons is the worst abuse of human rights and paints an inhuman picture that destroys the country’s human rights report at both national and international levels.

He observed that the prison congestion has continued to worry local and international human rights instruments that Zambia has ratified.

Mr Phiri stated that the PF government has so far pardoned 4,731 inmates since it came into power about three years ago out of which less than 10 pardoned inmates have re-offended.

He has since called on civil society organisations and the Church to join hands in calling for pardoning of more than 10,900 prisoners to decongest the country’s prisons.