The death penalty has been abolished in Equatorial Guinea, according to a new criminal code signed by President Teodoro Obiang, state media has reported.
The last execution in the country took place eight years ago.
Mr Obiang’s son, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, described the decision as “historical and memorable,” Reuters news agency reports.
The new penal code will be implemented after 90 days, Reuters reports.
The move comes three years after President Obiang promised to abolish the death penalty.
The acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif praised the new law.
“I welcome the adoption of a new penal code in Equatorial Guinea abolishing the death penalty. The death penalty is incompatible with fundamental tenets of human rights and dignity,” she said in a statement.
Capital punishment remains legal in just over 30 African countries, but more than 20 of those have not carried out executions for at least 10 years, according to data provider Statista. – BBC.
