Zambia's State House rejected a joint statement by 24 local and regional civil society organizations questioning the arrest of Jay Jay Banda. International human rights bodies also joined the statement. The government pushed back with the argument that a fugitive should not be treated as a victim. Its response focused on the legal basis for the recent apprehension rather than the wider circumstances of the case. The coalition had asked authorities to justify how Banda was captured. State House did not publish a detailed answer to those questions. The disagreement leaves the legality of the operation contested between the government and rights groups.