Cecil the lion's death was a heartbreaking tragedy - but it is not the only heartbreaking tragedy in Zimbabwe right now.
For ten years, Zimbabwe has had a moratorium on its death penalty - one of the few bright spots in a country known for its human rights abuses. But now that moratorium is expiring, and it's up to us in the global community to push President Mugabe to permanently ban the ineffective and immoral punishment.
"Ten years without an execution is a notable milestone on the road to the abolition of the death penalty, but the shadow of the gallows still looms for 95 prisoners currently on death row in Zimbabwe," said Deprose Muchene, Amnesty International's Director for Southern Africa.
Capital punishment is the most terrible final sanction, perpetuating violence, doing nothing to deter crime, and squandering money that might otherwise be used to prevent and solve crimes. It is also horribly unjust — the poor and those without adequate legal representation are most likely to be sentenced to death.
As Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, "There is no justice in killing in the name of justice."
More than 100 countries around the world - including 17 in Sub-Saharan Africa - have banned the death penalty. Sign the Care2 petition urging Zimbabwe to join them!
