3 weeks ago
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Following the outrage implicit the caller statesmanlike pardon granted immoderate victims by President Bola Tinubu, Germany, Australia and Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) France (Lawyers without Borders), person called for urgent enactment against decease condemnation successful Nigeria.
The 2 countries and the lawyers commended President Bola Tinubu for commuting 7 persons connected decease enactment to beingness imprisonment successful his caller statesmanlike pardon granted 175 persons.
They made the telephone astatine the screening of a movie titled “Just Mercy”, to commemorate the 2025 World Day Against the Death Penalty successful Abuja, organised by ASF France,
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, reiterated Germany’s unwavering committedness to the planetary movement.
“We deliberation that the decease punishment is not lone a ineligible matter, but it touches connected halfway values of justice, quality dignity and the close to life.
“The irreversible quality of the decease punishment means that mistakes and wrongful convictions are beyond correction.
“Germany abolished the decease punishment much than 70 years ago, and we proceed to advocator globally for its implicit eradication,” she said.
Günther urged the Nigerian authorities to instrumentality further steps towards the abolition of the practice.
Mr Neil Sanderson, Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian High Commission, besides emphasised his government’s unwavering stance.
According to him, Australia’s presumption was clear, “we reason the decease punishment successful each circumstances and proceed to telephone for its planetary abolition.
“It is simply a cruel, inhumane and ineffective punishment that undermines quality dignity and justice.
“Encouragingly, planetary momentum is growing, and we invited Nigeria’s information of abolition arsenic portion of its law betterment process.”
He observed that 144 countries are present abolitionist successful instrumentality oregon practice, and crossed Africa, nations specified arsenic Ghana, Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic and Zimbabwe had precocious taken the historical step.
Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the Country Director, ASF France successful Nigeria, said the World Day Against the Death Penalty serves arsenic a reminder that justness indispensable ne'er travel astatine the outgo of quality life.
“It is simply a telephone to empathy, reflection and action.
“ASF France reaffirms its committedness by providing ineligible assistance and enactment to radical facing the decease punishment done its web of pro bono lawyers,” she said.
According to her, “so far, we person supported implicit 800 individuals facing the decease punishment crossed 10 states successful Nigeria, ensuring they person capable ineligible representation, just and humane attraction nether the law.”
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said the caller statistic showed that 26 African countries had abolished the decease penalty, 14 countries inactive clasp the decease penalty, and 15 were classified arsenic de facto abolitionists.
“This is simply a wide denotation that the continent is progressively moving toward the planetary inclination of ending this irreversible signifier of punishment,” she said.
She said, “the 2025 study from the Nigerian Correctional Service, shows that determination are inactive implicit 3,500 persons connected decease enactment successful Nigeria accounting for 1 of the largest decease enactment populations successful Sub Saharan Africa.”
She said the figures highlighted the urgency of sustained advocacy and betterment toward the abolition of the decease punishment successful Nigeria.
“ASF France stands with each those astir the satellite who judge that each beingness has worth and that dignity, not death, should beryllium astatine the bosom of justice.
“We telephone for a humane justness strategy for all.”
“Together, we reaffirm our telephone for an authoritative moratorium connected executions arsenic a important measurement toward abolition of the decease penalty,” the state manager said.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu described President Tinubu’s commutation of 7 persons connected decease enactment to beingness imprisonment arsenic “an encouraging measurement that reflects the increasing designation for a much humane justness system.”
Mr Anthony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said quality rights enactment is for everyone.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Legal, Pwadumdi Okoh, Ojukwu said the contented of abolition of decease punishment “remains 1 of the astir contentious quality close issues of our time.”
English (US) ·