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Sierra Leone cancels the death penalty

2021-07-25T14:59:35.641Z


Sierra Leone will commute death sentences to life imprisonment in the future. A corresponding law is to be signed soon. Amnesty welcomes the move - but demands more.


Sierra Leone will commute death sentences to life imprisonment in the future.

A corresponding law is to be signed soon.

Amnesty welcomes the move - but demands more.

Freetown - Amnesty International has welcomed the abolition of the death penalty in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

"It is a victory for human rights," said Amnesty legal advisor Oluwatosin Popoola.

But more needs to be done.

The state must resolutely protect the right to freedom of expression of civil rights activists, journalists and members of the opposition and hold the police and military accountable for offenses.

Parliament voted unanimously to abolish the death penalty on Friday.

The current President Julius Maada Bio had promised the step in 2018 in the election campaign.

He is expected to sign the relevant law soon.

Death sentences are now to be commuted to life imprisonment.

94 people on death row

The West African country last carried out the death penalty in 1998.

At that time, 24 soldiers were executed by firing squad for participating in a coup.

However, according to Amnesty International, at least 94 people are still on death row.

According to a UN index, Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country is suffering from the aftermath of an eleven year long civil war that ended in 2002 and estimated that around 70,000 people were killed. In addition, there was a devastating Ebola epidemic from 2014 to 2016. The economy then collapsed by about a quarter. dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-07-25

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