Zambia abolishes death penalty, criminal defamation

Zambia on Friday abolished the death penalty and the offence of criminal defamation.

“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

With this, Zambia becomes the 25th country in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.

“Zambia’s decision to ban the death penalty should serve as an example to countries in the region that still use the death penalty and compel them to take immediate steps to end this cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment and protect the right to life,” Mr Chagutah added.

Amnesty International also encouraged Zambia to promptly accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.

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.