Francis Xavier Sosu, a human rights lawyer, has expressed dissatisfaction with the death sentence handed to six individuals accused of conspiring to commit high treason in a recent coup plot. The verdict, delivered on January 24, sentenced the individuals to death by hanging, a punishment deemed archaic and retrogressive by Sosu.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Newsnight, Sosu highlighted his disappointment with the sentencing, emphasizing that it contradicts the progress Ghana has made internationally in abolishing the death penalty. He urged a comprehensive review of the law, suggesting a shift towards life imprisonment instead of death by hanging.
Despite ongoing campaigns advocating for the replacement of death penalty laws with life imprisonment, no amendment has been enacted yet. Sosu called for a collective reflection on the use of the death penalty, especially considering the human rights advancements made by the nation. Although Ghana has not executed anyone in many years, the court’s ability to impose death by hanging underscores the need for legal reform.