UN Hails Zimbabwe’s Death Penalty Abolition

There
has
been
a
moratorium
on
executions
in
the
southern
African
country
since
2005
although
courts
had
continued
to
hand
down
the
death
sentence
for
crimes
including
murder,
treason
and
terrorism.

“I
welcome
the
signing
by
the
president
of
Zimbabwe
of
a
law
officially
abolishing
the
death
penalty
in
the
country,”
UN
human
rights
chief
Volker
Turk
said
in
a
statement.

“The
death
penalty
is
profoundly
difficult
to
reconcile
with
human
dignity
and
the
fundamental
right
to
life.

“All
states
that
still
maintain
the
death
penalty
should
follow
Zimbabwe’s
example
and
abolish
it,
or
pending
its
abolition,
impose
a
moratorium
on
its
use.”

Zimbabwe’s
Death
Penalty
Abolition
Act
says
courts
can
no
longer
deliver
a
sentence
of
capital
punishment
and
any
existing
death
sentences
must
be
commuted
to
prison
time.

However,
one
provision
says
the
abolition
of
the
death
penalty
may
be
lifted
during
a
state
of
emergency.

Turk
said:
“I
call
on
the
government
of
Zimbabwe
to
take
a
further
step
on
this
commendable
path
by
removing
the
provision
allowing
for
reinstatement
of
the
penalty
during
states
of
public
emergency.”

Mnangagwa
has
been
a
vocal
opponent
of
capital
punishment
since
he
was
sentenced
to
death
in
the
1960s
for
blowing
up
a
train
during
the
guerrilla
war
for
independence.
The
sentence
was
later
commuted.

Source:


UN
Hails
Zimbabwe’s
Death
Penalty
Abolition

|
Barron’s