{"id":345373,"date":"2017-08-16T13:21:15","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T13:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=345373"},"modified":"2017-08-16T13:21:15","modified_gmt":"2017-08-16T13:21:15","slug":"zambia-opposition-leader-hakainde-hichilema-released","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/08\/zambia-opposition-leader-hakainde-hichilema-released\/","title":{"rendered":"Zambia opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema released"},"content":{"rendered":"
Zambia’s opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, who has been held in prison since April on treason charges, has been released.<\/p>\n
Mr Hichilema was due to stand trial, but instead walked free from Lusaska’s high court after 100 days in custody.<\/p>\n
Sources say the charges against Mr Hichilema and five aides were dropped after a deal was negotiated by the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
He narrowly lost the election to President Edgar Lungu last year.<\/p>\n
Mr Hichilema, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), alleges the vote was fixed, and does not recognise Mr Lungu as president.<\/p>\n
Mr Lungu, meanwhile, faces accusations of growing authoritarianism.<\/p>\n
Mr Hichilema was arrested in April, accused of endangering the president’s life after his motorcade allegedly refused to give way to the one transporting Mr Lungu.<\/p>\n