Amnesty International (AI)demanded that the Zambian...

Amnesty International (AI)demanded that the Zambian government commute the death sentences given to the 59 soldiers convicted for the 1997 coup attempt. Launching the country report on the abolition of the death penalty in Zambia, AI acting director for Africa Martin Hill said the death sentence was inhuman and a violation of human rights. "The Zambian government should commute the death sentences of all those on death row convicted using evidence obtained under torture, including the 59 convicted after the 1997 coup attempt. For this trial and every other trial, where all or part of the evidence introduced at the original trial was obtained through torture, there should be retrials," read the report.