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Human rights in Botswana

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 174.58.138.200 (talk) at 09:48, 10 February 2012 (Constitution: "right to life" is anti-abortion language, so "fundamental" should not be used in this context.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Human rights in Botswana are protected under the constitution. The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted that in general the government of Botswana has respected the rights of its citizens.[1]

Constitution

The constitution of Botswana addresses human rights principles such as freedom of speech, Freedom of assembly and the right to life.[2]

Issues

Freedom of speech and press

The constitution addresses the notion of freedom of speech and this is generally respected by the government.[1]

Death penalty

The High Court in Johannesburg has slammed Botswana as a "pariah state not synchronised with the majority of African countries that have either abandoned or are refusing to implement the death penalty" Thirty-two people were hanged in Botswana between independence in 1966 and 1998 and a further six were executed between 2001 and 2006.

References