Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty following the enactment of a new law signed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday, December 31, the legislation prohibits courts from issuing capital punishment sentences and commutes all existing death sentences to prison terms.
Although executions had been suspended since 2005 under a moratorium, courts continued to sentence individuals to death for crimes such as murder, treason, and terrorism. With this new law, the death penalty is fully outlawed for all offenses.
However, a clause in the law allows the reintroduction of the death penalty during a state of emergency. As of late 2023, 59 inmates were on death row in Zimbabwe.
Amnesty International welcomed the abolition, calling it a “historic moment.” In a statement, the organization urged Zimbabwe to go further by removing the state of emergency clause. “We call on authorities to fully abolish the death penalty without exceptions,” Amnesty stated.
