Guyana

Recent sentencing to death by hanging of 29-year-old Imran Ramsaywack, the number of persons now sitting on death row has moved to 11, according to information obtained from the Guyana Prison Service.

There is currently a moratorium in place on the death penalty. Guyana has not carried out any execution since 1997. In the meantime, international pressure has been mounting for Guyana to abolish the death penalty. This very issue came up in January when Guyana presented its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 35th session held in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the time, the former APNU/AFC Government said that it was not in a haste to do so as it wants citizens to have a say. In fact, in its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the previous Administration indicated its willingness to have a referendum or other consultative processes to ascertain the will of its citizens on the matter.