Zambian authorities in Moscow Russia together with the police have instituted investigations into the arrest of a 21 year old Zambian student Tionge Ziba who was arrested for allegedly twerking at a war memorial site in Russia.
Ziba was arrested on April 17, 2022 after a video of herself twerking at the memorial site hit online, and is risking of serving 3 year jail term at Russia’s Federation correction facility if found guilty.
Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation while confirming of being notified of the arrest of Ziba, said they have launched investigations which will be conducted for three months.
The Ministry says the arrest follows suspicions of Ms. ZIBA having violated the laws of Russia after she posted a video on her Instagram Account in which she appears dancing in front of a Monument dedicated to Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, in Khanty-ansiysk District.
The Ministry adds that the first year student at Yugra State University was placed in temporary custody and was released on police bond in her own recognizance on Monday April 18.
It says the Yugra District Inter-District investigating Department has since initiated a criminal case on grounds of alleged criminal activity against the laws of the Russian Federation.
And court documents availed to the Zambian mission in Moscow show that the video was posted with an “offensive caption allegedly joking about Nazism” with the case having been forwarded to the Office of the Prosecutor of Khanty-Mansiysk District and Ms. ZIBA has been notified of the pending court action.
The Ministry adds that the Zambian Mission in Moscow has since been informed that Police will continue with investigations for the next three months and the exercise will be conducted in a humane manner to avoid interference with Ms. ZIBA’s academic calendar
