Against the Death Penalty

Add a Comment

Comment by Momoh K. Sei on December 4, 2008 at 10:51am

Amidst public humiliation and tearful outcry over unbridled terror from alleged armed gangs in Monrovia and its environs the Liberia Senate has finally concurred with the House of Representatives in the passage of the Armed Robbery Act attach Capital punishment to the crime of armed robbery in the country.
The Senate descended the gavel concurring with the House of Representative on the Act that had been sponsored and submitted to the Legislature by Montserrado County Representative, Edwards Forth, of the opposition congress for Democratic Change (CD).The Act, which is non-bail able, and was passed following intense debate in the Senate PlenaryFor the past months, a strange wave of killing has hit the country with innocent people being killed and their kidneys and intestines reportedly removed. The new wave of killing is taking place amid the increased wave of armed robbery across the country, specifically in Monrovia and its environs.
In late June this year, a Liberian deportee, identified as Mark Ninbo was allegedly brutally killed and his body dashed in the Shoe Factory Community in Gardnerville with his intestines and kidneys allegedly extracted. Following these allegedly killing the Liberia government on July 22nd 2008 approved An Act to Amend Chapters 14 And 15, Sub-Chapter (C), Title 26 of The Liberian Code of Laws Revised, Known as The New Penal Law of 1976, By Adding Thereto Four New Sections, Thereby Making The Crimes of Armed Robbery, Terrorism And Hijacking Respectively, Capital Offenses, And providing Punishment Thereof.
Although, this law was in the Liberia constitution, but it was silent.
Amnesty International and FIDH accused the Government of Liberia of reneging on its international agreements which forbids the implementation of death penalty. They said that the new armed robbery Act allowing death for violent crime in which death is the result, directly violates Liberia’s obligations under the 2nd Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which Liberia is a signatory since September 2055, which abolished the death penalty.
But notwithstanding, the public are threaten the Human Rights organization that we are they one protecting Armed Robbery.
The Masses called on talk show on the various Radio Station and also threaten Human Rights organization that they will mob any human rights activitist if they advocate against the Act.
An Act to Amend Chapters 14 And 15, Sub-Chapter (C ), Title 26 Of The Liberian Code Of Laws Revised, Known As The New Penal Law Of 1976, By Adding Thereto Four New Sections, Thereby Making The Crimes Of Armed Robbery, Terrorism And hijacking Respectively, Capital Offenses, And Providing Punishment Thereof.
Approved July22, 2008- Published by Authority
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monrovia, Liberia
July, 30, 2008
WEHEREAS, there has been an unprecedented increase in recent time in the wave, gravity, magnitude and viciousness of Armed Robbery, Terrorism, Hijacking and related offenses in Liberia;

ALARMED by the method (s) deployed by the perpetrators/culprits is /are heinous, frightening, and fearful, to the citizenry and have resulted in numerous deaths, rapes, permanent disabilities, destruction of properties and other types of extreme victimization of our citizens, especially women and children, and foreign residents within our borders;

RECALIZING that said acts of the culprits, acting alone, in unison and many instances in groups, are intended and have the effect of subjecting our people into and creating a state of fear and panic in the nation, with the ultimate end of fermenting instability and destabilization;

COGNIZANT that the Legislature has the prerogative under the Liberian Constitution to provide for the security and protection on the nation and its people, and of putting into place the mechanism, processes and penalties for enforcement by the Executive and adjudication by the criminal justice system;

RECALLING that all accused persons have the right to bail under Article 21 ( D) of the 1986 constitution unless charged for capital offenses or grave offenses as defined by law;

ACKNOWNLEDGING that the provision of the Liberian Constitution referred to above, upon which the perpetrators of criminal offenses have availed themselves and have benefited there from, also vest in the Legislature the authority to characterized offenses of capital and other grace nature which ware perpetrated to the detriment of the nation and its citizens, and the Legislature did appropriately act under that authority when, in compliance with Article 21 ( D) of the Constitution, amended with effect on January 4th 1995, the Penal Law of Liberia, and therein defined as capital offenses, the crimes of Terrorism, Armed Robbery, Hijacking, amongst others with penalties less than the maximum allowed for such offenses;

ALARMED by the magnitude of the offenses of Armed Robbery, Terrorism and Hijacking not only have attained the proportion of capital offenses but the manners of their perpetration are deemed to be grave enough to be characterized as such, given the results. That have been inflicted upon the nation and its people with death, murder, severe body injury, creating effects of Terrorism and like situations, and therefore warranting higher penalties;’

MINDFUL of the current state of the crimes of Armed Robbery, Terrorism and Hijacking in the Liberian Legislature has determined, consistent with the above mentioned provision of the Liberian Constitution, to lift the level of such criminal offenses and characterized the penalties of such level to secure the protection and safety of the Liberian nation and people, by further amendments to the New Penal Laws;

NOW THEREFORE: IT IS ENACTED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, IN LEGISLATIRE

SECTION1: AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 14 AND 15, SUB-CHAPTER ( C)
That Chapter 14, Sub-Chapter ( C) and 15, Sub-Chapter ( C), Titled 26 of the Penal Law of Liberian Code of Law Revised, as amended in 1995, hereby further amended by a redefinition of the term Terrorism, Armed Robbery, Hijacking, and adding thereto revisions which not recognize the crime of Terrorism, Armed Robbery, Hijacking, Respectively as capital and grave offenses, but which also provide for greater punishment thereof, commensurate with crimes, which new sections shall read as follows;

SUB-CHAPTER (C) - KIDNAPPING AND RELATED OFFENSES
Section 14.54: Terrorism-A person has committed felony of the first degree, a capital offense, if he unlawfully, deliberately or intentionally attempts to discharge, or discharges firearm, grenades, bombs, time-bombs, missiles, explosives, or other lethal devices which are likely to cause bodily injury, place such person or group of persons in a building, outdoors, or in the open air space, or are in vehicle or any means of water transport whether or not such explosive device or means causes bodily injury or death to another person or group or persons.
SUB-CHAPTER C-ARMED ROBBERY
Section 15. 32: armed Robbery- A person has committed Armed Robbery, a felony of the first degree and a capital offense and grave offense, if in the process of course of committing theft one threatens to kills, commits other acts indicative of an intent to kill, threatens, to rapes, threatens arson, commits arson, or inflicts bodily injury upon a person or group of persons, or places such or groups of persons in imminent danger or peril of life under, gun point by other means of firearms of any kind and nature, explosive, weapons or other lethal devices or instruments such as sticks, metals, bow and arrows, spears, knives, cutlasses, or bacteria, virus, poison, intoxicants, acid and other chemical capable of causing physical or metal injury or death.

SECTION 15:33: HIJACKING-A person has committed Hijacking, felony of the first degree, and a capital offense if such person commandeers vehicle or airplane at gunpoint or by any other means that threatens life, Hijacking is a capital offense and an repugnant to international law; hence, any person or group of persons charged with hijacking will be kept in maximum security prison.


SECTION 15.34: PENALTIES FOR ARMED ROBBERY, TERRIRISM AND HIJACKING
Any person or group of persons convicted of the capital offense of Armed Robbery, Hijacking or Terrorism shall be sentenced in the following manner:

Following the conviction of the crime of Armed Robber, Terrorism or Hijacking under Section14.54, 15.32 and 15.33 of this Act, the felons shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a period of not less than fifteen(15) calendar years with possibility of parole after eight(8) calendar years or after serving three quarters of the sentence in the case of a higher sentence, provided that a longer sentence may be imposed by the court based on the peculiar facts and circumstance of the case, and provide further that where no death, rape, or property damager or personal injury occurs as a result of any act of the offenses;

Comment by Alessandro on December 4, 2008 at 9:43am

Hello Momoh,
please tell me more about death penalty and respect of human rights in your country
Love & peace
Alessandro

Comment by Momoh K. Sei on December 4, 2008 at 9:14am

As for my country Liberia the government have passed a law for death
penalty this year 2008. upon all the signing the bill into was against the human rights organizations but the government signed it. so i will end up saying that my country has law for death penalty. we need international help to pleased to the government of Liberia to removed this law in the constitution.

Comment by Lila on December 4, 2008 at 12:13am

Only God can decide who go now die or not, He say : "You will not kill !" !!
All the religions say the same thing, and nevertheless make the opposite.
No one can stop life that God gived !!!
Nobody has the right ( law of God (of Love) ) to take a life that God gave... Can be in the exeption; for reason for saving its own life!
That's what I feel...
With all my Love
Lila

Comment by anna may on December 3, 2008 at 2:18am

Comment by martine on November 30, 2008 at 6:50pm

LaMob.pps

Comment by martine on November 30, 2008 at 6:46pm

Le diapo c'est our le fun!PFFFF La peine de mort c'est de la merde. Ils arretent avec leur conneries!

Comment by Paula on November 30, 2008 at 5:29pm

I believe, and I hope I'm not wrong, Portugal was the first european country to abolish death penalty. At least not everything is bad in this country!

Comment by Alessandro on November 30, 2008 at 5:22pm

Welcome aboard Anette

Comment by Anette Lindau on November 30, 2008 at 5:18pm

Stop death penaltys now!

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last