Africa: on the cusp of abolishing the death penalty

Amnesty International advised on World Day Against the Death Penalty that there are three sub-Saharan African countries on the cusp of abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.

In a recent article, Amnesty International discuss how in 2023, there was an increase in the use of the death penalty across sub-Saharan African. Further, recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by 66%. 

“Countries that still retain the death penalty in their laws often resort to the death penalty believing the punishment can make their people and communities safer. However, that is a misconception. The death penalty does not have a unique deterrent effect, and it violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The small minority of countries that insist on using this punishment must move with the times and abolish the death penalty once and for all,” said Oluwatosin Popoola.

You can read the article by Amnesty International here

You can also read Amnesty International’s Global Report on Death Sentences and Executions in 2023 here