Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Director, Samira Daoud, on 26 July welcomed the vote by the Ghanaian Parliament to remove the death penalty provisions from the Criminal Offenses Act 1960 and the Armed Forces Act 1962.
In a statement, she said that “the vote in Parliament constitutes a major step forward by Ghana towards the abolition of the death penalty. It is also a victory for all those who campaigned tirelessly to relegate this cruel punishment to the history books and strengthen the protection of the right to life.”
She felt that “this is a historic decision, but the abolition of this draconian punishment will only be complete by revising the Constitution, which still provides that high treason is punishable by death”.
“Now that the Criminal Offenses (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill 2022 have been passed by Parliament, President Nana Akufo-Addo must without delay promulgate them, commute all capital sentences already imposed to prison terms and establish an official moratorium on executions”, she continued.
According to his words, Amnesty International calls on the authorities in Accra “to take steps to remove the death penalty from the Constitution. The organization opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, without exception, as it violates the right to life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The death penalty is the most cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment there is. She has no place in this world.”
The Ghanaian opposition that was behind this death penalty reform also welcomed the vote of Parliament, arguing that Ghana is a country that respects human rights.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1268 of 07/29/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
