Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty, marking a significant shift for a nation that last carried out an execution nearly 20 years ago.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has approved a law that abolishes the death penalty in the southern African state with immediate effect. Rights group Amnesty hailed the decision as a "beacon of hope for the abolitionist movement in the region", but expressed regret that the death penalty could be reinstated during a state of emergency.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa — who has not signed death warrants for those facing capital sentences since he came to power in 2017 — signed the death penalty abolition bill into law Dec. 31,

Countries that retain the death penalty often argue that the public supports it. In Zimbabwe, research helped challenge this narrative.