How can abolition in Liberia be encouraged?
Message from the President
The death penalty violates the most fundamental and sacred right of an individual: the right to life. This right is essential for the existence of mankind. It must be ensured in order to fulfill the protection and enjoyment of any other right, indeed a person must be alive to claim the rights that appertain to him/her.
The right to life is a fundamental human right that must be guaranteed and protected by all States at all times. Infringement of this right by any State amounts to a gross human rights violation. The State, which has the responsibility to protect the lives of its people and ensure their safety and security, betrays their trust.
ACAT Liberia wishes to remind the Government of Liberia of its obligations under the Second Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR OP2), calling for a Moratorium on the Death Penalty and its subsequent abolition. Liberia acceded to the ICCPR OP2 in 2005 but it is yet to ratify the instrument and domesticate it in its legal framework.ACAT Liberia therefore calls on the Government of Liberia to ratify the ICCPR OP2, domesticate it in its laws and commute the sentences of convicts on death rows.
Dale Nikke Tokpah
President of ACAT Liberia