Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy organization, is rallying the support of stakeholders to submit a memorandum in support of the Private Members Bill introduced in Parliament to abolish the death penalty.
The memorandum would facilitate the passage of the bill, which it said had been long overdue.
Though no official moratorium has been imposed on executions, Ghana carried out its last execution in 1993. The Criminal Code and Other Offences Act, (Act 29), 1960, still provides for the use of capital punishment for crimes of treason under the Constitution and a series of other crimes, including murder and genocide.
The Armed Forces Act also allows for the use of the death penalty in case of treason and mutiny by military personnel in times of war.
Although Ghana ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2000, it is yet to sign and ratify its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
The human rights organization has petitioned parliament to expunge it from the laws of Ghana because it believes the death penalty violates the right to life and undermines human dignity.
Amnesty International paid a courtesy call to the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng.
The Campaign and Communication Coordinator for Amnesty International Ghana, Belinda Asamanyuah, said over the years, in seeking the abolition of the penalty, it realized that constitutional reviews through a referendum would be expensive for the organization and the country.
“Our strategy has changed to an advocacy approach grounded on sound legal advice which now focuses on amending the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) to abolish 96 percent of the provisions relating to the use of the death penalty and the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1662 (Act 105),” she said.
According to her, Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, through a Private Member’s Bill, introduced the bill in parliament for its first reading and referred it to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee.
“Now we have gotten to a stage where the committee is requesting a memorandum in support of the bill that is before them, and as co-sponsors of the bill, we are paying courtesy calls on all organizations that share similar visions with us, especially in the fight for the right to life and the right for prisoners as well,” Ms. Asamanyuah added.
She, therefore, called on the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation to support their organization by submitting a memorandum that would facilitate the passage of the bill.
On his part, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, said the move by Amnesty International Ghana was a worthy cause, adding that the abolition of the death penalty law was long overdue.
Mr Kwarteng called on the organization to turn their watch and focus on other fundamental human rights of prisoners in the country.
“I am saying that because I have been to the prisons, and I can state with authority that the situation over there is very terrible, and they need help. We need to narrow into the reality on the ground,” he said.
He pledged his support to the organisation and expressed the hope for more collaborations in making the life of prisoners in the country better.
