Human rights organization Amnesty International is advocating for the complete removal of the death penalty from Ghana’s legal system. As of April this year, 184 convicts are on death row in Ghana, an increase from last year’s 180, following four new death sentences in the first quarter of this year, according to Amnesty International’s World Human Rights 2023 report.

The report highlights various human rights concerns in Ghana, including witchcraft accusations, women’s and girls’ rights, sexual minority rights, excessive use of force, the right to health, and environmental issues.

Speaking to journalists, Genevive Partington, the country director for Amnesty International, emphasized the importance of commuting the death sentences of those on death row to life sentences.

She noted that although Ghana has not conducted any executions since 1993, abolishing the death penalty is a crucial step towards aligning with global human rights standards.