BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia said on Monday it had executed nine prisoners in the face of international criticism of the president's plans to clear the country's death row by mid-September.
Six civilians and three members of the military were executed by firing squad on Sunday after their appeal processes had been exhausted, the interior ministry said in a statement.
It named the prisoners and said they had been found guilty of a variety of crimes, all involving murder.
President Yahya Jammeh announced plans to push through all pending death sentences last week.
The executions would "ensure that criminals get what they deserve", he said, drawing condemnation from the African Union, Britain and the European Union, which promised a quick but unspecified response.
Monday's interior ministry statement suggested more executions would take place. "All sentences as prescribed by law will be carried out to the letter including the death penalty," it said.
Jammeh has frequently been criticized for his rights record since he seized power in a 1994 coup.
(Reporting by Pap Saine; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gambia-executes-nine-prisoners-firing-squad-government-204722621.html
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