These statistics indicated that between 1987 and 1990 a total of 165 people received death sentences, but at least 41 of them benefited from commutation or pardon. Official statistics for 1992 and 1993 have not been available to Amnesty International, but the organization has received reports of six death sentences being passed and six executions carried out during that year. In 1994 courts considered appeals against 87 death sentences. In 61 cases the sentence was not changed. The presidential clemency commission commuted the death sentence to imprisonment in only one case from 40 appeals.
Execution is by shooting.
A defence lawyer must assist in capital cases. Prisoners can appeal against the verdict or sentence to the next highest court within seven days of receiving a written copy of the judgment. As their cases are heard at a higher level at first instance, however, prisoners under sentence of death have fewer opportunities to appeal than many other prisoners. Death sentences may also be reduced by a judicial review. Under this procedure a higher court re-examines the case after it has received a protest against the judgment of the court of first instance or the court of appeal.