Zambia: Govt cancels RightsCon Summit citing security concerns on some delegates
1mon 18d ago by mander.xyz/u/Sepia in africa@baraza.africa from diggers.news
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Well-placed sources have told News Diggers! that the Summit has actually been cancelled because the programme involves Taiwanese delegates who would potentially speak against China at a venue donated by the Chinese government.
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RightsCon is the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age, which brings together experts, activists, policymakers, and tech ...
In the meantime there are multiple reports on it. It's a shame, particularly for the governments in China and Zambia.
... Access Now said in a statement that the 2026 edition of RightsCon - a long-running conference devoted to digital rights due to kick off in the Zambian capital of Lusaka on Tuesday - was canceled after Chinese diplomats pressured Zambia's government over the presence of Taiwanese civil society figures due to attend the conference ...
... The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Calls rang unanswered at the Zambian Embassy in Washington ...
... The conference has been running for more than a decade and organizers have made efforts to host it in non-Western countries. The Zambia gathering was meant to be RightsCon's debut in southern Africa. Organizers said they would not be deterred by what they described as "violations of the fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly and association."
"RightsCon may not happen in Zambia, but we will come together again," the statement said in part.