Amnesty International urges Gov’t to abolish death penalty

The human rights group believes the death penalty has outlived its purpose and must therefore be reviewed.

The appeal to government was made by the Board Chair of Amnesty International Ghana, George Aggrey.

He explained that relatives and children tend to endure traumatic experiences when their incarcerated parents are put on death row.

“There are issues including trauma experienced by children whose parents have been executed that we have not thought of it,” Mr. Aggrey told Accra-based Citi FM.

“This is not to say that, those who have suffered in the hands of armed robbers and has cost them their lives, we don’t think about them. We do think about all of them but what we are saying is that the death penalty has outlived its usefulness and we need to do something about it as a nation.”

The death penalty is enshrined in Ghana’s laws, however, the country has not executed any convict in the last 26 years.

Mr. Aggrey believes reviewing the death penalty will be in the best interest on the country, adding that as long as it remains, it could one day be used.

“Nobody knows who will come in as President and start doing that. So, the earlier the better, we call for it to be abolished other than leaving it for somebody to come one day and say that I am signing for all those on death roll to be executed,” he stated.

Ghana’s Constitution and Criminal Code prescribes a death sentence to persons who are found culpable of certain serious crimes.

These include treason, murder, genocide, war and smuggling, among other serious crimes.