Abolition of the death penalty for terrorism in Chad

Good news

By FIACAT, on 30 April 2020

Extract from the FIACAT press release published on 29 April 2020. To read the press release : http://fiacat.org/en/media-press/press-releases/2874-press-release-abolition-of-the-death-penalty-for-acts-of-terrorism-in-chad

According to Salomon Nodjitoloum, President of ACAT Chad: “The abolition of the death penalty for crimes of terrorism is the culmination of the struggle of ACAT Chad and of all the abolitionists in the world. By taking this courageous decision, despite the resurgence of terrorist acts, Chad has joined the worldwide abolitionist trend. However, the struggle for the respect of human rights remains our objective. »

On 8th May 2017, Chad had promulgated a new Criminal Code repealing the death penalty, except for terrorism-related offences. Law N°034 of 5th August 2015 on the suppression of terrorism-related offences continued to apply the death penalty for a significant number of crimes. While no executions or convictions have been recorded in 2019, four persons sentenced in 2018 were still being held on death row in deplorable conditions and kept in a secret location away from other prisoners.

In recent years there has been a resurgence of the death penalty in the context of the fight against terrorism, with many countries around the world retaining the death penalty in their legislation for crimes related to terrorism. Chad, despite being threatened by the jihadist group Boko Haram, is showing that an abolitionist path is possible.

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