Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that he had approved the law banning the death penalty and the offence of criminal defamation of the president.
Responding to this development, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah said:
”Amnesty International welcomes the announcement by President Hichilema that the death penalty has been abolished in Zambia. This is a good and progressive move that shows the country’s commitment to protecting the right to life.
”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.
”With the abolition, Zambia is the 25th country in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.”
