Zambia has extradited a Chinese filmmaker, Lu Ke, to Malawi where he is facing racism and child exploitation allegations.
According to a BBC News report, Lu Ke was a Malawi resident when he used local children to film personalised greetings videos, some of which included racist content.
These videos can be bought for up to US$70 (£55) on Chinese social media and internet platforms. However, Lu Ke denied making derogatory videos.
On Sunday, 17 July 2022, Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying Lu Ke was extradited to the country from Zambia. Read the full statement below:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform members of the public that, with cooperation from the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the fugitive Mr Lu Ke, who fled Malawi to Zambia in June 2022, has been successfully extradited to Malawi on Saturday, 16th July 2022.
Members of the public will recall that Mr Lu Ke fled Malawi after the publication of a BBC report on the dehumanising videos that he produced by tricking Malawian children in Lilongwe and Mchinji districts for profit.
Through cooperating with both the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the Malawi Government established that Mr Lu Ke had fled to Zambia using unchartered routes.
The Zambian Government apprehended him for irregular entry and fined him accordingly.
Following this development, the Malawi Government through cooperation among Ministries of Homeland Security, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, reached out to the Zambian Government to request the extradition of Mr Lu Ke.
After procedures for considering the extradition request were completed, the Government of Zambia handed over Mr Lu Ke at the Mchinji border, on 16th July 2022.
Mr Lu Ke is expected to appear in court where he will be charged for contravening various laws of Malawi which the Director of Public Prosecutions will outline soon.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to thank the Government of the Republic of Zambia for the assistance it has rendered in this matter.
This cooperation underlines the cordial and brotherly relations the two countries enjoy.
The Ministry also wishes to thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the cooperation it provided including in information sharing.
Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to urge members of the public to be vigilant and ensure that the rights of children are not abused in any way, shape or form.