The United Nations has commended Zimbabwe’s recent decision to abolish the death penalty, encouraging other nations to follow suit or implement moratoriums on capital punishment.
On Tuesday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed a law commuting the sentences of approximately 60 death row inmates to jail terms. Zimbabwe’s Death Penalty Abolition Act prohibits courts from issuing death sentences and mandates the conversion of existing ones to imprisonment.
The country had already observed a moratorium on executions since 2005, despite continued sentencing for crimes such as murder, treason, and terrorism.
UN’s Call for Broader Action
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk applauded Zimbabwe’s move, emphasizing that the death penalty is incompatible with human dignity and the right to life. Turk urged all nations to adopt similar measures or impose moratoriums as a step toward abolition.
Turk also highlighted a clause in Zimbabwe’s legislation allowing for the death penalty’s reinstatement during states of emergency, urging the government to eliminate this provision to fully align with human rights principles.
A Long-Standing Advocate
President Mnangagwa, a staunch opponent of capital punishment, draws his stance from personal experience. Sentenced to death in the 1960s for his role in a guerrilla war attack, his punishment was later commuted.
Zimbabwe joins a growing number of nations renouncing capital punishment, reinforcing global efforts to uphold human dignity and protect fundamental rights.