LUSAKA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Prison authorities on Friday moved Zambia's leading opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema who is facing treason charges to a high security prison, his party said.
Hichilema, who was arrested in April this year and charged with treason with five others, was moved from Lusaka Central prison in Lusaka, the country's capital to Mukobeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe town in Central Province.
His party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), confirmed the transfer on its official website and added that the opposition leader and his co-accused were flown in a helicopter.
The party later confirmed that the opposition leader landed at the prison, which is reserved for serious offenses.
However one of his lawyers, Jack Mwiimbu told local media that they could not guarantee the safety of the opposition leader, adding that the lawyers were not even informed about his movement.
"When we got wind of it, we went to Lusaka Central Prison to verify whether that was true and immediately we got there we found that all the arrangements had already been made. I cannot guarantee his safety," he is quoted as saying by the News Diggers, an online local publication.
The decision to transfer him to the high security prison follows the formal committal by a lower court to the high court for the commencement of trial.
However the commencement day of the trial has not yet been set.
On Thursday, the opposition leader said he was looking forward to a speedy trial and maintained that he has not committed any crime to warrant his two-month detention.
He maintained that his arrest was politically motivated.
