Lusaka - An editor of Zambia's only privately-owned daily appeared in court on Thursday on charges of defaming President Levy Mwanawasa.
Fred M'membe, a controversial editor of The Post newspaper, was arrested and detained on Wednesday after he wrote an editorial calling Mwanawasa "stupid and foolish."
He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a jail sentence of three years, in a court room packed with civic and opposition leaders showing their support for him.
M'membe was released on bail and his trial was set to start in December.
In his editorial in The Post Monday, M'membe said Mwanawasa displayed "foolishness, stupidity and lack of humility" which was "something that one can never imagine to come out of the mouth of a president of this country."
He was referring to a speech in which Mwanawasa on Saturday slammed former Zambian leader Kenneth Kaunda for criticising constitutional problems in the country.
"We have no doubt Levy will continue to the end of his presidency with this arrogance, lack of humility and sometimes stupid and foolish outbursts until he crash-lands," the editorial said.
Mwanawasa said Sunday he had received information that M'membe was planning to contest next year's presidential elections and challenged the editor to quit his position and join mainstream politics.
M'membe has denied the claim.
The controversial journalist was arrested and detained several times during the rule of Mwanawasa's predecessor Frederick Chiluba.
When Mwanawasa was elected president, The Post called him a "brother" because of his tough stance on corruption but the relationship has since soured. - Sapa-AFP