Sierra Leone became the 23rd African country and 110th worldwide to abolish the death penalty.
President Julius Maada Bio, who signed the bill into law, said that the West African country and former British colony had “exorcised horrors of a cruel past” after a long campaign to end capital punishment.
The bill also gives judges additional discretion when issuing sentences, which opponents of capital punishment say is particularly important in cases where the person convicted is a victim of sexual violence.
Ninety-four people were living under a death sentence at the end of 2020.
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