Topic:
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate Name: Casey Nelson
Submitted to: Human Rights Council
From: Ethiopia
Topic: Use of the Death Penalty
The nation of Ethiopia is one of the remaining countries that still enforces the death penalty, also known as Capitol Punishment. Capitol Punishment is not used frequently in Ethiopia but is a protected part of the country that has been defended for years. While few executions have occurred in Ethiopia people are still sentenced. There are an estimated 120 prisoners currently on death row. In Ethiopia’s oldest known laws the death penalty is listed as punishment for several crimes, the death penalty has been around in Ethiopia for ages with little to no resistance or pushback from citizens. No form of public or private organization in Ethiopia has pushed against the use of capital punishment. This is likely due to the large presence of Islam in Ethiopia, Sharia law condones the death penalty therefore the public doesn’t have much of a problem with it.
While some countries in the world support a global abolishment of the death penalty, Ethiopia does not. The death penalty in Ethiopia is an important part of its justice system and it would be a great and unwanted change in Ethiopian courts. If abolishment is out of the question it might be possible for the committee to instead put regulations on how the death penalty is used. Regulations like this could look different for every country and Ethiopia wants this committee to consider that abolishment of the death penalty isn’t the right course of action.
Ethiopia will support policies that would keep the death penalty so that countries that wish to use it can do so. However, Ethiopia has been making cutbacks on the sentencing guidelines regarding the death penalty this along with an increase in pardons for death row inmates means that Ethiopia would be interested in policies that would instead put regulations on the use of the death penalty, the nation of Ethiopia would be open to negotiation and debate on policies and regulations that apply to the usage of the death penalty. Things such as limitations and regulations on sentencing and how those who have been sentenced are treated; this could extend to a deeper topic, that being execution. What rules might be placed on things such as the method of execution and how humane it is, as well as topics such as: how much time should be spent on death row?
While Ethiopia has not executed anyone since 2007 in the time since then there have been four attempts by the UN General Assembly to pass a resolution that would create a global moratorium on executions, on all four of these occasions Ethiopia has voted no. If a similar motion occurs in this committee the Nation of Ethiopia would likely vote no.
The Nation of Ethiopia is prepared to stand in defense of the death penalty but is sure to keep an open mind when debating they way forward with this issue. Ethiopia looks at this committee eagerly and firmly believes that this committee can reach a verdict.
Sources Used
Lourtau, Delphine, and Delphine Lourtau. “Capital Punishment in Ethiopia.” Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, 2 Mar. 2020, deathpenaltyworldwide.org/capital-punishment-in-ethiopia/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
Mattimalla, Suryaraju. “Compatibility of Death Penalty with the Purpose of Criminal Punishment in Ethiopia .” Pdf, 2018, file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/4527-Article%20Text-15535-1-10-20181218.pdf.
www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Res/Ethiopia%20ICCPR%20Report%20Death%20Penalty%20v1.pdf. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
“Capital Punishment in Ethiopia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 June 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Ethiopia#:~:text=They%20accept%20it%20as%20requital,President%2C%20but%20executions%20are%20rare. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
