COVID-19: Groups call for halt on death penalty

The World Coalition Against Death Penalty and the Human Rights Law Service have called on countries all over the world to impose a moratorium on the death penalty in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the groups, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed people on death penalty in a disadvantaged position as they are deprived of quality representation and unfair judicial process since lawyers are hampered in their practice and judges are unable to work normally.

A statement signed on Thursday by Niyi Odunmorayo, the Media Assistant to Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, quoted the President of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Kevin Miguel Rivera Medina as saying that “When the whole world is trying hard to save lives from COVID-19, an execution by the state is contradictory and perverse”

The groups also argued that it was impossible in this period of COVID-19 pandemic to maintain fair trials and fair legal representation.

Read also: UN against death penalty for hate speech – Official

The statement reads: “While some countries now sentence people to death by videoconference, as in Nigeria or Singapore, in others the prison restrictions have seriously infringed the rights of those awaiting execution because courts are stalled and law firms are closed. Options to help people whose lives are at risk are decreasing.

“The current global health crisis has demonstrated how profoundly unfair the system has been on people already weakened by their heavy sentence. A lack of visits to people on death row and the inability for lawyers and judges to work normally are all unfair consequences of an ill-equipped system.

“By comparison, those countries that have had the courage during this time to take a step, big or small, towards abolition shows that our world is made better without this archaic, cruel and degrading practice of capital punishment. For example, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco and Zimbabwe have granted commutations, which also extended to those sentenced to death.

“This October, civil society will mobilize to celebrate the 18th World Day Against the Death Penalty, which will focus on the right to legal representation and highlight the role of lawyers in protecting those facing the death penalty. A right that is fractured by the health crisis since lawyers are less able to assist their clients and who are also economically weakened.”

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