Prisoner exchange program should be encouraged

By Salome Matantilo-Kasonda

Prisoner exchange programs should be encouraged among African countries as this is good international practice that also raises the human rights profiles of these countries. It further guarantees human rights of those in incarceration.

This call came after a Zambian national Penelope Munge died in a prison in Ethiopia where she was serving a 5 year sentence for drug trafficking.

PRISCCA Executive Director Dr. Godfrey Malembeka said Zambia should take an interest in its citizens held in prisons in other countries so that they can negotiate with those countries to bring back their citizens.

He observed that Zambia had successfully had prisoner exchange programs between Malawi, Angola and Namibia adding that this should be encouraged for other countries both in Africa and abroad.

“We further strongly appeal to the African Union to put this issue on their agenda and encourage African countries to embark on prisoner transfer agreements as they discuss free travel and movements of Africans. This will by far improve the human rights profiles of the countries involved and afford prisoners a decent life while they are in incarceration,” he said. PRISCCA also sent its condolences to the family of the late Penelope.

“We are more saddened by the fact that in mitigation, Penelope had mentioned that she suffered from a medical condition to the judge who disregarded her plea and sentenced her to five years,” he said.

A Zambian woman convicted for trafficking in cocaine and sentenced to five years imprisonment, died on Sunday 24^th July 2022 after suffering a partial stroke in prison. In her mitigation, she had said she was a single mother who was also hypertensive and needed consistent medical attention.