SIERRA LEONE ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY

Sat 24 July 2021:

The Sierra Leonean parliament has unanimously voted to abolish capital punishment, President Julius Maada Bio said on Friday.

Human rights campaigners have hailed a “historic” decision by Sierra Leone’s Parliament.

“Today, I have fulfilled a governance pledge to permanently abolish the death penalty in Sierra Leone. I thank citizens, members of Parliament, development partners, and rights groups that have steadfastly stood with us to make history,” Sierra Leonean leader wrote on Twitter.

The law will take effect once signed by the president.

Today, I have fulfilled a governance pledge to permanently abolish the death penalty in Sierra Leone. I thank citizens, members of Parliament, development partners, and rights groups that have steadfastly stood with us to make history. pic.twitter.com/vN1ZrjKQmn

— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) July 23, 2021

Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term. The bill also gives judges additional discretion when issuing sentences, which opponents of capital punishment say is particularly important in cases where the person convicted is a victim of sexual violence.

“The road ahead is still long and difficult. Yet as a nation we can now be proud to know that the death penalty is no longer in our books,” said Basita Michael, founder of Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) and former president of the Sierra Leone Bar Association.

“We applaud the president, the attorney general, parliament and civil society for this historic legislative accomplishment and we look forward to collaborating together for further reforms that affirm our nation’s desire for peace, unity, justice and prosperity.”

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the move as an “important milestone” and conveyed London’s readiness to continue to support Sierra Leone in the “promotion & protection of human rights.”

The last time the death penalty was carried out in the country was in 1998, when 23 soldiers were executed by firing squad at the height of the 11-year civil war. But death sentences have continued to be issued.

No execution has taken place in Sierra Leone since 1998, with death penalty often substituted by other punishments, which did not spare the country from criticism by human rights groups, however. Announcing the upcoming plans to abolish capital punishment in March, Sierra Leonean Justice Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma said it was aimed at protecting basic human rights.

Sierra Leone will be the 23rd African country putting an end to colonial-era death penalty laws. Malawi’s Supreme Court ruled capital punishment unconstitutional in April, and Chad did the same last year.

According to Amnesty International, 108 countries had completely abolished the death penalty by the end of 2020, while 144 had abolished it in law or in practice.

Both executions and death penalties also fell across sub-Saharan Africa last year, the rights group said.

Recorded death sentences fell by 6 percent, from 325 in 2019 to 305 last year, while executions were down 36 percent, falling from 25 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.

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