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Executions of 28 prisoners "in the balance"

[Tanzania] The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Hassan Bubacar Jallow of The Gambia. ICTR Arusha, Tanzania. [Date picture taken: 2005/09/19] Sukdev Chhatbar/IRIN
Hassan Jallow, prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
    ARUSHA

    The lives of 28 prisoners, due for execution on Thursday, are hanging in the balance as human rights groups and the diplomatic community in Kampala are locked in negotiations with the government to try and rescind the court's decision, director of Amnesty's African regional office Patrice Vahard told IRIN on Thursday.

    "Although there has been conflicting information, official sources confirmed they have not been executed," he
    said. "We do not know what will happen this evening since the official execution time is 19:30. But we remain optimistic."

    The execution of the men, convicted of murder and robbery which carry mandatory death sentences under Ugandan law, has elicited an international outcry. There have been no executions in the country since 1996.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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