Zambia has abolished the death penalty and the offence of criminal defamation, Report informs via Premium Times Nigeria.
“Today we assented to Penal Code (Amendment) Bill number 25 of 2022, abolishing the death penalty in Zambia and the offence of Criminal Defamation of the President. Promised to amend laws that inhibit democracy, human rights, good governance & basic freedoms. #PromisesDelivered,” President Hakainde Hichilema tweeted.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said the abolishment is a good and progressive move that shows the country’s commitment to protecting the right to life.
With this, Zambia becomes the 25th country in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
“We also commend President Hichilema for quashing the offence of criminal defamation of the president, used until recently to muzzle free speech and unjustifiably limit freedom of expression in the country,” he said
Amnesty International in its latest report on the use of the death penalty, documented that executions in sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled from 16 in 2020 to 33 in 2021.