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The death penalty is abolished in Zambia. On Friday, December 23, President Hakainde Hichilema approved a bill ending the death penalty in the Penal Code as well as the crime of defamation against the Head of State. A moratorium suspended killings since 1997 in Zambia. The country joins the abolitionist camp, like the Central African Republic or Equatorial Guinea this year. With this measure, President Hichilema, from the opposition and elected in 2021, marks his presidency a little more on the side of progressivism
With our regional correspondent, Roman Song
« We promised to change laws that hinder democracy, human rights, good governance and fundamental freedoms. Promises kept. This is the message that President Hakainde Hichilema tweeted after amending the Penal Code to abolish the death penalty.
Today we assented to Penal Code (Amendment) Bill number 25 of 2022, abolishing the death penalty in #Zambia & the offence of Criminal Defamation of the President.
Promised to amend laws that inhibit democracy, human rights, good governance & basic freedoms. #PromisesDelivered pic.twitter.com/yt7TmNBL3B— Hakainde Hichilema (@HHichilema) December 23, 2022
The Zambian head of state had campaigned on the abolition of this law inherited from the former British colonist. In 2021, the year of his election, nine death sentences had been pronounced under the presidency of Edgar Lungu. In total: 257 people were on death row.
Zambia becomes the 25th country in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty. A progress hailed by human rights activists. They also welcomed the end of the crime of defamation against the president.
« This law was used until recently to muzzle freedom of expression “recalls Amnesty International. President Hichilema now exposes himself to more criticism. But also to congratulations for taking this direction.