Cotonou, Paris, 6 June 2018 - On 5 June, Benin’s National Assembly adopted a new Criminal Code removing all references to the death penalty from the law.
Although the last execution in Benin took place in 1987, the country’s courts continued to impose death sentences until 2012, when Benin acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 5 July. Benin is therefore abolitionist since 2012.
ACAT Benin, Changement Social Benin and Amnesty International Benin have maintained constant pressure on the government of Benin so that it abolishes punishment in its criminal law and commutes the sentences of those sentenced to death.
In February 2018, the Council of Ministers adopted a decree to commute the sentences of the last 14 death row inmates to life imprisonment.
A draft Criminal Code, without the death penalty, had been drafted and was pending before the National Assembly. It was adopted yesterday by the parliament, formally prohibiting the death penalty in Benin.
FIACAT and ACAT Benin welcome this decision and encourage the government of Benin to continue along this path by supporting the draft Additional Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights aiming at the abolition of the death penalty in Africa.
Press Contact:
- ACAT Bénin : Pascal ZOHOUN ou Pacôme AKOGOU - acat_coordbnin@yahoo.fr – +229 97 47 99 51 / 97 60 41 42
- FIACAT : Guillaume COLIN : g.colin@fiacat.org – +33 1 58 64 10 47