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Sierra Leone's Parliament Votes to Abolish Capital Punishment

VOA News

   Sierra Leone is set to become the 23rd country on the African continent
   to abolish the death penalty.

   Lawmakers in the West African nation voted unanimously Friday to outlaw
   capital punishment and replace it with life imprisonment or a minimum
   30-year sentence for such crimes as murder or treason and grant judges
   additional discretion when handing down a sentence.

   Sierra Leone has not executed anyone since 1998, when 24 soldiers were
   put to death by firing squad for taking part in a coup attempt the
   previous year. At the time the country was in the throes of a bloody
   civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002.But more than 80 people have
   been sent to death row since then.

   President Julius Maada Bio is expected to sign the legislation into
   law.

   More and more Africa countries have abolished the death penalty, which
   human rights groups consider a cruel remnant of centuries of brutal
   colonial rule.Malawi's Supreme Court ruled the practice
   unconstitutional in April, while Chad outlawed it in 2020.

   16 people were executed across sub-Saharan Africa last year compared to
   25 people in 2019, a drop of 36%, accordingAmnesty International, a
   human rights advocacy group.

   Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's West and Central Africa Director,
   praised the vote by Sierra Leone's lawmakersin a statementsaying it
   is"a major victory for all those who tirelessly campaigned
   toconsignthis cruel punishment to history and a strengthening of the
   protection of the right to life."

   Daoudurged President Maada Bio to immediately sign the billandthat
   the"inhuman and degrading punishment," sheadded,"has no place in our
   world."

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