Wednesday May 29, 2024
FILE - Three men found guilty of involvement in an Al-Shabab attack on the Somali Presidential Palace are tied to poles ahead of their execution by firing squad in Mogadishu on August 3, 2014
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia experienced a dramatic increase in executions in 2023, according to Amnesty International's latest report. The country recorded 38 executions, a sharp rise from 6 in 2022, making it one of the top countries globally for executions last year.
The significant surge in executions in Somalia contrasts sharply with the overall trend in sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries are moving toward abolishing the death penalty. Four countries (Kenya, Liberia, Zimbabwe and Ghana) took positive legislative steps towards the abolition of the death penalty. Amnesty International said that Somalia was the only country in the region to carry out executions in 2023.
The executions in Somalia were predominantly carried out by shooting. Amnesty International's report highlights that the death sentences in Somalia were imposed for various crimes, often after trials that did not meet international standards for fairness. In total, Somalia handed down 31 new death sentences in 2023, compared to 10 in the previous year, indicating a broader reliance on capital punishment.
Globally, the number of executions rose by 30% in 2023, driven primarily by a sharp increase in Iran, which accounted for 74% of recorded executions. Despite this rise, the number of countries performing executions fell to 16, the lowest ever recorded by Amnesty International. The decrease indicates a growing global trend towards abolishing the death penalty.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, arguing that it violates the right to life and constitutes the ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. The report underscores that many executions in Somalia, and the procedures leading up to them, violate international human rights standards. These include concerns about fair trial rights and the use of torture or coercion to extract confessions.
While some countries in the region and worldwide are moving towards abolishing the death penalty, Somalia's trend indicates a move in the opposite direction, raising alarm among human rights organizations.