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Liberia: Death Penalty Under Fire
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
7 August 2008
Posted to the web 7 August 2008
The short-circuiting of the DDRR programme on the alibi of donor fatigue, according to observers, saw the spiraling upsurge in armed robbery, rape, and bushwhacking.
As the victims list grew, the government of Liberia and UNMIL found themselves increasingly on the defense, hard put to respond criticisms of neglect of responsibility and also to respond to distress calls from scenes of ongoing crimes.
Operations spider-web and sweeping wave were jointly launched by UNMIL and LNP without bringing the situation under control - Monrovia remained scary and dangerous at night.
This must have forced the Sirleaf administration to amend the New Penal Laws of Liberia making rape and armed robbery punishable by death through hanging or life imprisonment.
But the law has come under intense fire from notable international and domestic quarters even before the ink with which it was signed dried. Critics variously call it cruel, inhumane, political, and emotional.
"But is the criticism just?" seems the vital question. The Analyst Staff Writer, reports.
One domestic and two international groups, one of them a recovery partner of Liberia, have vehemently denounced the reintroduction of death penalty in the Liberian penal code and have called for the review of the bill President Sirleaf signed into law recently to legally reinforce it.
In separate statements released globally at separately time, the groups - Amnesty International (AI), the European Union, and US-based Association of Liberian Lawyers in the Americas (ALLA) - accused the administration of going back on the commitment Liberia had made to international efforts to abolish the death penalty.
Incidentally, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, July 22, 2008, signed into law an Act making armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking capital offenses.
The Act to amend "chapters 14 and 15 sub-chapter (c), titled 26," known as the new penal law of 1976, was revised by adding thereto four new sections thereby making the crimes of armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking, respectively, capitol offences and providing punishment therein, a government release said at the time.
The ALLA Paradox
In a statement released by the group early this week titled, "The Death Penalty Standing Alone Is Not The Answer To Crime Prevention And Effective Law Enforcement In Liberia" ALLA said it was appalled and downhearted to read and learn that the government of the Republic of Liberia and the National Legislature have reinstated the death penalty after committing itself to International Humanitarian Law on the abolition of the death penalty.
The statement was signed August 5, 2008 by group's Executive Director, Cllr. Frederick A.B. Jayweh of Denver, Colorado, in the United States.
It then accused the government of enacting ineffectual punitive laws when it should be taking appropriate steps to rehabilitate traumatized Liberians and empower them economically.
But when observers thought ALLA was making a case for the inadequacy of the new act vis-à-vis crime prevention and law enforcement, the group turned from the point and plunged headlong into arguments that brought into question the entire court system and jury selection in particular.
The group went ahead to vilify the law, presenting it as more harmful to present-day Liberia than the insecurity brought on by spiraling crime rates in Liberia's large cities and highways thereby undermining economic recovery by forcing investors to think twice about investing in Liberia.
It notes, "Just like murder, this law and all other death penalty laws found on the books of Liberia are cruel, inhumane, and unjust for the Republic of Liberia and its citizenry.
Forcefully and vehemently ALLA is articulating and asserting that because under this law, an accused indicted, tried, and found guilty could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment, it sees the need for legislative review and evaluation in Liberia."
It is not clear whether ALLA values more the life of a convicted murderer over the lives of innocent Liberians that are being taken in cold blood almost on the daily basis or whether it is concerned with preserving Liberia's international image, but it noted that it was important that the Sirleaf Administration review the law forthwith.
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"Since such death could be carried out by hanging for the alleged commission of the crimes of armed robbery, hijacking, or terrorism, ALLA is calling on the government of Liberia to rescind and repeal this law, honor its international obligation as to respecting the right to life and to immediately proceed to encourage modern legislative review and reform in Liberia," ALLA said.
Capital punishment,which is also known as the death penalty, postulates the execution of a person by the state as punishment for a crime. In this case of the death penalty law of Liberia, the act of terrorism, premeditated murder and armed robbery resulting into the death of another person are eligible offenses for the capital punishment. The law underscores the need to vehemently deter heinous crimes against the Liberian people thereby sustaining the rapidly but fragile development obtaining in the country.
Historically, the execution of criminals and political opponents was used by nearly all societies all over the world—both to... [Read Full Text]
I know Ma Ellie Is just mad at her children that why she said that.But Ma please reconsider ur decition.Because some people just waiting to star killing inocent people.
Sis.comfort
ALLA is a group of weekly party throwers, burger eating Liberians in the US who are not thinking of returning to Liberia. Liberians are roating under the insecurity of illegally armed men. The best you could do is return home { Liberia } and make your contribution to the Liberian judiciary to improve the system instead of making noise that do not have any practical meaning to Liberians. The EU and other Western countries contributed greatly to the deplorable situation in Liberia that led to the current level of unemployment. The blood timber, gold, diamond, ion ore and other... [Read Full Text]
I am a bit confused about AI and UNHCR’s concerns in repealing the death penalty law in Liberia. Liberia has experienced 15 or more year civil war. This war caused lot of destruction of human lives and property. We saw rape, looting, and mass killings, burning of homes, etc., such things remain very fresh and vivid in the minds of the population. Because of this, many Liberians fled their country to refugee camps and some were internally displaced. Armed robbers, bandits, and thugs should not create such situation that warrant people once again leaving their homes and country for resettlement... [Read Full Text]
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