Rome-Based Lay Catholic Association Hails Abolition of Death Penalty in Malawi

They explain that in recent months, “a document of recommendations was submitted to the government, drafted with the decisive contribution of Sant'Egidio in the person of the lawyer Alexious Kamangila, in synergy with representatives of the Reprieve association and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.”

“This document has also enjoyed the support of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and has proved decisive,” officials of the Rome-based association say in the report.

They further note that “this action of Sant'Egidio, in a country where it has been present for years with numerous initiatives in favor of the population, is part of the Community's broader commitment towards a moratorium and abolition of capital punishment, carried out since 2005, together with that for the humanization of prisons.”

“This activity also includes a significant sensitization of civil society on the issue of rehabilitative justice,” they add.

Among the first companions of the campaign in Malawi, the Sant’Edigio leaders remember “Vera Chirwa, an activist who on several occasions took part in international conferences of Ministers of Justice, promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio on the theme of the abolition of the death penalty.”

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“Throughout these years, numerous actions in favor of a reform of the prison system have also been carried out, while the awareness of these issues has grown through the annual celebration of Cities for Life - cities against the death penalty, a movement to which more than 2,300 cities worldwide adhere,” they add.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.