[JURIST] Former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba [profile] has asked the African Union [official website; JURIST news archive] to intervene to halt criminal charges filed by Zambia [BBC report] in the United Kingdom. Chiluba contends that as a member of the AU, Zambia is bound by an agreement that all former African heads of state facing charges stemming from their time in office will be tried in their home countries. Arrested in 2002, Chiluba is currently on trial in Zambia on charges of corruption and theft of public funds, but frustrated with the lack of progress in the trial, the government sanctioned legal proceedings against Chiluba in 2004 on charges that he defrauded the government by funneling nearly $35 million in funds acquired through an arms deal to private bank accounts in London. The Mail & Guardian Online has more.