Zambia Refuses Bail for Espionage Suspects Including Egyptians

Zambia is set to reject bail for five Egyptians and six local citizens accused of espionage for entering a restricted area at Lusaka airport. This comes after Zambian authorities announced two weeks ago that their aircraft was seized containing weapons, ammunition, cash, and counterfeit gold. A magistrate's court in the capital, Lusaka, charged the men on Monday, but Judge Davis Chipweyl postponed the decision on their bail request to the next day after the defense dismissed the prosecution's testimony against their release. Defense attorney Martha Mushibe told the court, "The prosecution needs to disclose to us the reason for their refusal to grant bail to the defendants whose freedom has been deprived." The charge sheet did not mention the aircraft or the seized items, but the defendants' lawyers stated in a statement that they were on a plane that was searched by Zambia's Drug Enforcement Agency on August 13 at Lusaka's main airport.