By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
Deputy Justice Minister Nyenati Tuan has said Liberia’s maintenance of the death penalty is solely for the deterrence but does not have anybody currently on death roll in the country.
He added that courts in Liberia has rendered judgments in criminal cases such as murder, arm robbery, terrorism and hijacking purposely for the consolidation of peace.
Minister Tuan spoke at a two-day roundtable forum in Monrovia this week organized by the Action by Christian for the Abolition of Torture and Death Penalty in collaboration French Development Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Union.
Amnesty International and other local and international human rights groups are on a campaign calling for a complete moratorium on the death penalty.
Former President William R. Tolbert, Jr. enforced the death penalty in several instances during his administration in the 1970s by signing death warrants for a number of persons convicted of murder, including his own cousin. They were all executed by hanging at the time.
According to the Liberian Deputy Justice Minister, to abolish the law on death penalty, the executive will have petition the National Legislature for an amendment in the felonious crimes such as murder, treason, hijacking and arm robbery.
At presence, he went on, the highest sentence for offenders in armed robbery, murder and hijacking is life imprisonment since the inception of the CDC government.
In remarks, the President of the Action by Christian for the Abolition of Torture and Death Penalty, Lake Tokpah said it is unfair for Liberia to sign international agreement abolishing death penalty but maintaining the law in the country.
He called local and international partner to step up the pressure for the Liberian government to abolish the law on death penalty in Liberia.
For his part, the President of the Federation of International Action by Christian for the Abolition of Torture and Death Penalty, Paul Angaman, who spoke through an interpreter, said the trend in Africa is in favor of the abolition of death penalty.
According to Mr. Angaman, 21 countries in Africa have signed a law abolishing death penalty in their laws on the continent
“ The state does not give life and therefore it should not in the business of taking what it cannot produce,” he told the audience.
Mr. Angaman appealed to Liberians to begin considering forgiveness and think on other punitive actions against people who are engaged in felonious crimes.
He appealed to Liberian for all to be done to abolish death penalty in Liberia
The roundtable discussion brought together representatives of the Muslim and Christian community, human rights organization, civil society organizations, France , Ivory Coast among others.