Seoul | 5 May 2026
The Asia Democracy Network expresses serious concern over the abrupt cancellation of RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. Over 2,600 activists, technologists, academics and policymakers had been scheduled to convene to address urgent questions in digital rights — from internet shutdowns and surveillance to AI governance and the safety of marginalized communities online. hashtag#RightsCon organizers acknowledged that credible accounts indicate the cancellation was made under external political pressure, including from the People’s Republic of China. Unfortunately, when that pressure came, the Zambian government chose not to stand with the human rights defenders and pro-democracy stakeholders, failing to uphold fundamental rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression within their borders.
The Zambian government’s justification that the postponement was necessitated by “comprehensive disclosure of critical information relating to key thematic issues proposed for discussion” to ensure “full alignment with Zambia’s national values and broader public interest considerations” is deeply troubling in its own right, as it frames open discussion of digital rights and human rights as incompatible with national interest, setting a chilling precedent for how governments may seek to police legitimate civic debate.
RightsCon is one of the few genuinely global platforms where civil society, governments, and technologists can openly debate and shape the future of digital rights. Its cancellation is a serious loss at a time when those spaces and rights are already under intense pressure, and a troubling illustration of the growing reach of transnational repression — the use of political and economic leverage to determine who may speak, who may gather, and whose voices count.
It is disappointing that the current Zambian government, which came to power on a commitment to rule of law and democratic accountability, chose to turn away thousands of human rights defenders rather than stand with them. We call on the Zambian government to provide a full and public explanation of what occurred, and urge democratic governments, multilateral institutions, and civil society worldwide to reaffirm their commitment to protecting civic space and ensuring that convenings like RightsCon can take place freely, without interference and without exclusion. Civic space must be defended wherever it is threatened, and the international community must treat this incident as the warning that it is.
The Asia Democracy Network, representing pro-democracy civil society across Asia, stands in full solidarity with the Access Now and RightsCon teams and with every participant and community affected by this incident.
Asia Democracy Network
