Jakarta:The German Embassy in Nigeria has marked the World Day Against the Death Penalty with a call for reflection on justice, human dignity, and the right to life.
Accourding to News Agency of Nigeria, the event, organized by the German Embassy in collaboration with Avocats Sans Frontières France, the Australian High Commission, and the Embassy of Spain, was held as Nigeria nears 10 years without an execution. The World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed on October 10 each year.
German Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefan Rössel, emphasized the importance of abolishing capital punishment and highlighted the significance of Nigeria reaching a decade since its last execution in December 2016, which would classify the country as a de facto abolitionist state. He welcomed this milestone on behalf of the German government, noting that Germany opposes the death penalty unconditionally, considering it a fundamental part of its human rights policy.
Rössel reflected on Germany’s history, citing the extensive use of the death penalty during the Nazi dictatorship and its eventual abolition in East Germany in 1987. He underscored the importance of justice systems protecting human rights and preventing irreversible errors. Rössel also quoted French author Victor Hugo, emphasizing that society’s use of the death penalty is no less a crime than when individuals commit similar acts.
Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, representing Avocats Sans Frontières France, stated that the organization has been working on death penalty issues in Nigeria since 2007 and launched the ‘Saving Lives’ project in 2011. She highlighted that Nigeria has about 3,800 individuals on death row, the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, and argued that the death penalty does not deter crime more effectively than imprisonment. She noted it disproportionately affects the poor and called for judicial discretion to be restored, urging Nigeria to progress from a moratorium on executions to formal abolition.
The event also included a discussion on the human impacts of the death penalty, featuring personal stories from families affected by it, such as Amanda Angel, who shared her family’s experience.