LUSAKA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A court in Zambia on Friday freed six activists who were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly after they staged a protest over rising corruption.

Magistrate Mwaka Mikalile acquitted the six activists, among them popular musician Fumba Chama, known by the name Pilato, citing insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution.

Mikalile said the activists were within their rights to demonstrate outside the parliament building as they had followed the law by notifying the police.

The court said the police acted unprofessionally in arresting the activists.

The six were arrested in September last year when they demonstrated outside parliamentary grounds during the presentation of the budget.