Zimbabwe Abolishes Death Penalty After Nearly Two Decades Without Executions

President Mnangagwa signs historic law ending capital punishment, with provisions for commutation of death row sentences.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law, officially ending the use of capital punishment in the country.
The law commutes the sentences of approximately 60 death row inmates to prison terms, with courts required to consider individual circumstances during resentencing.
Zimbabwe had not carried out an execution since 2005, partly due to a lack of executioners, but courts continued to issue death sentences for crimes such as murder and treason.
Amnesty International and other rights groups praised the move as a significant milestone for human rights but urged Zimbabwe to remove a clause allowing the death penalty during states of emergency.
Zimbabwe joins 24 other African nations that have abolished the death penalty, marking progress in the global trend toward ending capital punishment.