French legal firm, Vey Associés, claims Zambia violating human rights in detaining in-transit private aircraft, crew

Vey & Associés, a law firm based in France, says Zambia has allegedly committed a major violation of its own constitution in the detention of an in-transit private aircraft, its crew and eight passengers.

The law firm’s Founding Lawyer, Antoine Vey has, therefore, in a statement issued on Friday demanded the immediate release of the detainees to proper living conditions in an hotel pending the completion of the investigation within a maximum of 48 hours.

Vey claimed that the 10 detained crew and passengers had been exposed to inhumane conditions for the last 72 hours with no access no legal counsel.

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“We demand the immediate release of the detainees to proper living conditions in an hotel pending the completion of the so-called investigation within a maximum of 48 hours, to be followed by unconditional approval for the aircraft and its passengers, with all their confiscated belongings, to depart Kenneth Kaunda International Airport after receiving the adequate apologies for the gross mistreatment they have received for no fault of their own.

“The international community at large, and the African Union in particular, are called upon to closely monitor the developments of this matter over the coming few days,” he said.

Zambian authorities impounded the aircraft at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka on August 14 while awaiting a take-off permit

Reacting to this development, Vey said the firm had taken the decision to dispatch one of its office’s senior human rights counsels to document and monitor the various violations of domestic and international law being committed in Zambia.

He said this would include monitoring the risks faced by international businesses seeking to do business in “The Continent of The Future”.

“The man has just landed in Lusaka,” according to Vey.

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