An American Based Vlogger Ethel Chisomo Edwards has told court that that she is in the process of commencing a plea bargain discussion with the state.
This is in a matter where Ethel is charged with four counts of Seditious practice and hate speech allegedly directed at President Hakainde Hichilema, offences she pleaded not guilty to.
Ethel was arrested on September 12, 2025, upon arrival from US, when she came to Zambia to attend the funeral of her grandmother.
It is alleged that between Ethel used multiple social media platforms between February 1, 2023, and February 28, 2025, to disseminate hate speech and seditious content. These include a Facebook page named Dominic Phiri, another page titled Zambia Top Updates, and a TikTok account called Trending Stories.
When she appeared today for commencement of trial, the prosecuting counsel Voster Musanka informed Magistrate Webster Milumbe that they were not ready to proceed as they had been approached by the defence to begin the plea bargain process.
The matter has since been adjourned to 27th November 2025 for possible commencement of trial.
A plea bargain is an agreement between the prosecution and the defendant in a criminal case, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or not to contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecution, such as reduced charges or a lighter sentence.
Source: Diamond TV