The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) received with shock and deep sadness news that the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia had executed by firing squad three persons pursuant to a military tribunal sentence.
The Commission is equally concerned that those executions were carried out in spite of the consistent objections regarding fair trial concerns under military tribunals in the country.
The Commission condemns in the strongest terms the fact that those executions were carried out in spite of the obligations of the Republic of Somalia under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right and other regional and international human rights instruments, in particular the right to life guaranteed under these conventions.
In the past the Commission had commended those countries which, despite having the death penalty in their statute books, have observed a de facto moratorium, and also urged other Member States which do not observe a de facto moratorium including Somalia to observe a moratorium on death penalty.
It is against this background that the Commission reiterates its call to the Government of the Republic of Somalia to observe a moratorium on the death penalty and to take all necessary measures to ensure that those remaining persons facing the death sentence are not executed.
The African Commission further urges the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
Banjul, The Gambia, 25 March 2014.
