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UN applauds abolition of death penalty in Equatorial Guinea

The acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al Nashif, has applauded the abolition of the death penalty in Equatorial Guinea, a country that had not carried out such sentences since January 2014.


Parliament of Equatorial Guinea - PARLAMENTO DE GUINEA ECUATORIAL

"With the signing of the new Penal Code by the President, Equatorial Guinea becomes the 25th African State to abolish the death penalty, further reinforcing the global trend towards universal abolition and contributing to the improvement and development of Human Rights," she said in a statement.

Thus, 170 states have already abolished or introduced moratoriums against the death penalty, a practice "incompatible with the fundamental principles of human rights and dignity" that are disseminated by the United Nations.

The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, signed on Monday the repeal of the death penalty, a step that the vice president and son of the president, Teodorin, has described as "historic" for the country.

The new law 4/2022, within the Penal Code, which was announced two months before the local, legislative and presidential elections, will come into force 90 days after its publication in the Official State Gazette.

The measure had been in the drawer since 2014, when the country joined the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and pledged to abolish the death penalty, as well as to end torture and extrajudicial detentions by "the organs of the State."

Map Of Equatorial Guinea

As observed on the physical map above, Equatorial Guinea in west-central Africa has two distinct regions, a mainland region, and an insular region. The country has a total land area of 28,051 sq. km.

The mainland of Equatorial Guinea begins on a narrow coastal plain, edged by mangrove swamps. From there, the land rises into an elevated plateau of thickly forested hills to its border with Gabon, reaching (in a few places) upwards of 1,219 m above sea level.

The major river, the Uola, snakes its way across the center of the country.

The offshore island of Bioko, volcanic in origin and very fertile, is dominated by three extinct volcanoes. Its coastline is steep and rugged south, but there are scenic beaches and harbors along the northern coast.

The highest point of Equatorial Guinea is Pico Basile at 3,008 m; the lowest point of the country is the Atlantic Ocean (0 m).