Zambia: priest arrested for political activity

Friday, March 19, 2010

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A Catholic priest who is leading a campaign to force the Zambian government to resign has been freed on bail after spending three nights in jail.

Fr Frank Bwalya denies charges of breaching the peace after distributing red cards - the symbol of his campaign.

Officials have also denied the arrest was politically motivated.

After being freed, he told reporters he had "never felt so confident" about his message and said the government was corrupt and dictatorial.

The priest's critics have labeled him a rabble-rouser, but Fr Bwalya said his campaign has wide support.

"People agree with our message because it's their own message," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

"The people would have liked the government to go yesterday but we're a country of laws and there are procedures," he said.

The priest was arrested in the northern city of Kitwe March 12 when he was distributing his red cards - a symbol borrowed from football, where players are shown a red card when they are dismissed from the game.

He is encouraging Zambians to honk their car horns and show their red cards on Fridays, to display their displeasure with the government.

Dozens of protestors gathered outside the court during his hearing, and police fired tear gas to disperse them.

Filed under africa, zambia, catholic, christianity, human rights, politics

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