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60-755: The ASC was created by the Interim Government of Ambazonia in March 2018. The Interim Government wished to include all separatist militias, including the ADF; however, the ADF declined to join, opting for cooperation rather than integration. It is unclear whether the ASC has a centralized command structure, though given the local nature of its militias, this is unlikely. In March 2019, the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (SCLC)

120-461: A Biafran separatist movement. The Interim Government under Sako denounced this move, preferring instead to attempt to win the goodwill of the Nigerian government. On 13 September 2022, long-term IG spokesperson Chris Anu (brother of deceased separatist general Lekeaka Oliver ) was voted President of Ambazonia after a six months transition period of Marianta Njomia elapsed. On January 21 2023,

180-728: A "Full Restoration Bill", officially changing their name from the Interim Government of Ambazonia to the Government of Southern Cameroons, or the Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, changing the coat of arms and seal of the government, the name of the Interim House of Representatives to the "Southern Cameroons House of Assembly" and restoring the House of Chiefs. They also passed a resolution allowing

240-754: A ceasefire. When asked about his conditions for a ceasefire, Ayuk Tabe listed three; that the ceasefire be announced by President Paul Biya , that the Cameroonian military would pull out of the Anglophone regions, and a general amnesty for separatists. The outbreak of the Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria widened the gap between Ambazonian factions. The AGovC declared an alliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),

300-517: A convict could be entitled to spend the rest of the sentence (until that individual dies) outside prison. Early release is usually conditional on past and future conduct, possibly with certain restrictions or obligations. In contrast, when a fixed term of imprisonment has ended, the convict is free. The length of time served and the conditions surrounding parole vary. Being eligible for parole does not necessarily ensure that parole will be granted. In some countries, including Sweden, parole does not exist but

360-582: A fixed jail term of 20 years and thus changed it to a jail term to be served for the rest of the prisoner's remaining lifespan. The amended definition is applied to future crimes committed after 20 August 1997. Since Abdul Nasir committed the crime of kidnapping and was sentenced before 20 August 1997, his life sentence remained as a prison term of 20 years and thus he still had to serve 38 years behind bars. The appeal of Abdul Nasir, titled Abdul Nasir bin Amer Hamsah v Public Prosecutor [1997] SGCA 38 ,

420-405: A home invasion robbery, possessing a firearm, and associating with persons engaged in criminal activity", and sentenced him to 15 years for the attempted armed robbery plus life imprisonment for the armed burglary. The life sentence Graham received meant he had a life sentence without the possibility of parole, "because Florida abolished their parole system in 2003". Graham's case was presented to

480-476: A life sentence may – after a successful application – be commuted to a fixed-term sentence, after which the offender is released as if the sentence served was that originally imposed. In many countries around the world, particularly in the Commonwealth , courts have been given the authority to pass prison terms that may amount to de facto life imprisonment, meaning that the sentence would last longer than

540-525: A prisoner with no hope of being released ever, the prison has no means to discipline such convict effectively. A few countries allow for a minor to be given a life sentence without parole; these include but are not limited to: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina (only over the age of 16), Australia, Belize, Brunei, Cuba, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, and

600-660: A proper change of leadership would be initiated in three months. This marked the start of the 2019 Ambazonian leadership crisis . The AGovC threw its support behind Ayuk Tabe and in August it formally allied itself with the Ayuk Tabe-led faction of the IG. Despite the imprisonment and the infighting within the Interim Government, Ayuk Tabe was still considered more influential than Sako. In July 2020, Cameroonian officials met with Ayuk Tabe and other members of his cabinet to discuss

660-584: A rate of 50 people per 100,000 (1 out of 2,000) residents imprisoned for life. In several countries, life imprisonment has been effectively abolished. Many of the countries whose governments have abolished both life imprisonment and indefinite imprisonment have been culturally influenced or colonized by Spain or Portugal and have written such prohibitions into their current constitutional laws (including Portugal itself but not Spain). A number of European countries have abolished all forms of indefinite imprisonment. Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina each set

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720-522: A terminal illness or a presidential pardon. In Albania, while no person sentenced to life imprisonment is eligible for standard parole, a conditional release is still possible if the prisoner is found not likely to re-offend and has displayed good behaviour, and has served at least 25 years. Before 2016 in the Netherlands , there was never a possibility of parole for any person sentenced to life imprisonment, and any form of release for life convicted in

780-683: Is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which the convicted criminal is to remain in prison for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned , paroled , or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are considered extremely serious and usually violent. Examples of these crimes are murder , torture , terrorism , child abuse resulting in death , rape , espionage , treason , illegal drug trade , human trafficking , severe fraud and financial crimes , aggravated property damage , arson , hate crime , kidnapping , burglary , robbery , theft , piracy , aircraft hijacking , and genocide . Common law murder

840-429: Is never a possibility of parole for anyone sentenced to life imprisonment, as life imprisonment is defined as the "deprivation of liberty of the convict for the entire rest of his/her life". Where mercy is granted in relation to a person serving life imprisonment, imprisonment thereof must not be less than 30 years. In Ukraine , life imprisonment means for the rest of one's life with the only possibilities for release being

900-627: Is one of the only crimes in which life imprisonment is mandatory; mandatory life sentences for murder are given in several countries, including some states of the United States and Canada . Life imprisonment (as a maximum term) can also be imposed, in certain countries, for traffic offences causing death. Life imprisonment is not used in all countries; Portugal was the first country to abolish life imprisonment, in 1884, and all other Portuguese-speaking countries also have maximum imprisonment lengths, as well as all Spanish-speaking countries in

960-591: Is set by the sentencing judge. In 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that sentencing minors to life without parole, automatically (as the result of a statute) or as the result of a judicial decision, for crimes other than intentional homicide, violated the Eighth Amendment 's ban on " Cruel and unusual punishments ", in the case of Graham v. Florida . Graham v. Florida

1020-427: Is up to the prison complex after 25 years have been served, and release eligibility depends on the prospect of rehabilitation and how likely they are to re-offend. In Europe, only Ukraine and Moldova explicitly exclude parole or any form of sentence commutation for life sentences in all cases. In South and Central America, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and

1080-565: The Criminal Code , at 25 years. A statutory amendment to allow periods of parole ineligibility greater than 25 years was held to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in R v Bissonnette (2022 SCC 23), as contrary to section 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Parole eligibility for second degree murder typically varies between 10 and 25 years, and

1140-558: The Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Sentences of life in prison without parole can still be given to juveniles for aggravated first-degree murder, as long as the judge considers the circumstances of the case. In 2016 the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Montgomery v. Louisiana that the rulings imposed by Miller v. Alabama were to apply retroactively, causing a substantial amount of appeals to decade-old sentences for then-juvenile offenders. In 2021,

1200-476: The President of Malta . In France , while the law does not expressly provide for life imprisonment without any possibility of parole, a court can rule in exceptionally serious circumstances that convicts are ineligible for automatic parole consideration after 30 years if convicted of child murder involving rape or torture, premeditated murder of a state official or terrorism resulting in death. In Moldova , there

1260-465: The Supreme Court of the United States , with the question of whether juveniles should receive life without the possibility of parole in non-homicide cases. The Justices eventually ruled that such a sentence violated the juvenile's 8th Amendment rights, protecting them from punishments that are disproportionate to the crime committed, resulting in the abolition of life sentences without the possibility of parole in non-homicide cases for juveniles. In 2012,

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1320-596: The Vatican City penal code in 2013, is just a variation of the death penalty. Originally in Malaysia, life imprisonment was construed as a jail term lasting the remainder of a convict's natural life, either with or without the possibility of parole. In April 2023, the Malaysian government officially abolished natural life imprisonment and instead redefined a life sentence as a jail term between 30 and 40 years. At

1380-638: The "Ambazonia Restoration Forces" (ARF). In January 2022, the ARF began to fracture as conflicts erupted among its members. Several commanders of the umbrella group, including General No Pity and General Mad Dog, formed the Bui Unity Warriors in opposition to "Field Marshal" Insobu's Bui Warriors, another group within the ARF. The internal struggles further escalated in February 2022, as the Interim Government splintered when its leader Samuel Ikome Sako

1440-469: The 1990s. It was SCACUF, led by Chairperson Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe , that declared the independence of Ambazonia on October 1, 2017. The Interim Government was officially formed on October 31, 2017, with Tabe assuming the role as President of Ambazonia and SCACUF forming the Interim Government. By the time SCACUF transformed into the Interim Government, a separatist war had been raging for almost two months. Several separatist militias were active, with

1500-588: The ASC is collectively larger than the ADF, it does not have a centralized command structure and is more of a cooperation project than a single organization. President Sako sought to bury the differences between the Interim Government and the Ambazonia Defence Forces, which is loyal to the AGovC. On December 31, 2018, he announced that a Mobile Wing Police would be established, and that the separatists would abandon their defensive strategy and seize

1560-635: The Americas except for Cuba, Peru, Argentina, Chile and the Mexican state of Chihuahua . Other countries that do not practice life sentences include Mongolia in Asia and Norway, Iceland, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andorra and Montenegro in Europe. Where life imprisonment is a possible sentence, there may also exist formal mechanisms for requesting parole after a certain period of prison time. This means that

1620-874: The Dominican Republic have all abolished life imprisonment. The maximum sentence is 75 years in El Salvador, 60 years in Colombia, 50 years in Costa Rica and Panama, 40 years in Honduras and Brazil, 30 years in Nicaragua, Bolivia, Uruguay, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and 25 years in Paraguay and Ecuador. Life imprisonment in Canada is a criminal sentence for certain offences that lasts for

1680-539: The Government of Southern Cameroons as the sole institution recognized by the UN, representing all the people of Ambazonia." This Northwest Region (Cameroon) location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Southwest Region (Cameroon) location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This government -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Life imprisonment Life imprisonment

1740-622: The Interim Government were arrested by Nigerian authorities and extradited to Cameroon. They were subsequently imprisoned for almost a year, before a trial started in December 2018. This became controversial in Nigeria, as most of those deported had submitted claims for political asylum. In March 2019, a Nigerian court determined that the arrest and deportation had been unconstitutional, and ordered everyone returned to Nigeria and compensated. This had no practical implications, and on August 20, 2019,

1800-572: The Supreme Court ruled in Jones v. Mississippi that sentencers are not required to make a separate finding of the defendant to be "permanently incorrigible" prior to sentencing a juvenile to life without parole. Pope Francis called for the abolition of both capital punishment and life imprisonment in a meeting with representatives of the International Association of Penal Law . He also stated that life imprisonment, removed from

1860-426: The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Miller v. Alabama in a 5–4 decision and with the majority opinion written by Associate Justice Elena Kagan that mandatory sentences of life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders are unconstitutional. The majority opinion stated that barring a judge from considering mitigating factors and other information, such as age, maturity, and family and home environment violated

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1920-464: The United States. According to a University of San Francisco School of Law study, only the U.S. had minors serving such sentences in 2008. In 2009, Human Rights Watch estimated that there were 2,589 youth offenders serving life sentences without the possibility for parole in the U.S. Since the start of 2020, that number has fallen to 1,465. The United States has the highest population of prisoners serving life sentences for both adults and minors, at

1980-572: The cane for robbery with hurt resulting in a female Japanese tourist's death at Oriental Hotel in 1994 and a consecutive sentence of life imprisonment with 12 strokes of the cane for kidnapping two police officers for ransom in 1996, which totalled up to 38 years' imprisonment and 30 strokes of the cane. Abdul Nasir's appeal for the two sentences to run concurrently led to the Court of Appeal of Singapore , which dismissed Abdul Nasir's appeal, to decide that it would be wrong to consider life imprisonment as

2040-619: The caretaker cabinet has lost the ability to reconcile our people and, in doing so, has imperiled the identity and mission of the interim government to complete the decolonization of Southern Cameroons through advancing our collective national interests. This triggered a leadership crisis within the Interim Government, as the Sako-led cabinet refused to step down. In June, the Ambazonia Restoration Council impeached Ayuk Tabe for "treasonous misconduct", and declared that

2100-642: The country was only possible when granted royal decree by the King of the Netherlands , with the last granting of a pardon taking place in 1986 when a terminally ill convict was released. As of 1970, the Dutch monarch has pardoned a total of three convicts. Although there is no possibility of parole eligibility, since 2016 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in the Netherlands are eligible to have their cases reviewed after serving at least 25 years. This change in law

2160-666: The country's criminal code, alongside a three-strikes law . In Europe , there are many jurisdictions where the law expressly provides for life sentences without the possibility of parole. These are England and Wales (within the United Kingdom ; see Life imprisonment in England and Wales ), the Netherlands , Moldova , Bulgaria , Italy (only for persons who refuse to cooperate with authorities and are sentenced for mafia activities or terrorism ), Ukraine , Poland , Turkey , Russia , and Serbia . In Sweden , although

2220-518: The first group of people to have their natural life sentences reduced to 30 years’ imprisonment after a re-sentencing hearing by the Federal Court of Malaysia , which was followed by many more such commutations in the months to come. In Singapore , before 20 August 1997, the law decreed that life imprisonment is a fixed sentence of 20 years with the possibility of one-third reduction of the sentence (13 years and 4 months) for good behaviour. It

2280-726: The government of Canada announced that the warring parties had signed an agreement to enter a peace process facilitated by Canada. The agreement was signed by the Cameroonian government, the Ambazonia Governing Council (and its armed wing, the ADF), the African People's Liberation Movement (and its armed wing, SOCADEF ), the Interim Government of Ambazonia, and the Ambazonia Coalition Team. On 2 December 2023, Sako's Interim Government passed

2340-461: The government to trademark all property of the government of Ambazonia, and finally passed a resolution allowing the president to "keep master access to all government platforms and websites". 5 days later, Sako signed the 2nd amendment to the constitution, saying on X that: "In a Townhall t'day I'll be signing into law the revolutionary Orders in Council of S.Cameroons as amended, restoring in full

2400-681: The human life expectancy. For example, courts in South Africa have handed out at least two sentences that have exceeded a century, while in Tasmania , Australia, Martin Bryant , the perpetrator of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, received 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole. In the United States, James Holmes , the perpetrator of the 2012 Aurora theater shooting , received 12 consecutive life sentences plus 3,318 years without

2460-499: The largest one - the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) - answering to the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGVC), led by Cho Ayaba and with Benedict Kuah as Chief of staff . The Interim Government initially rejected the idea of an armed struggle, preferring civil disobedience and a diplomatic campaign. In early November, the Interim Government condemned an ADF attack on gendarmes. In January 2018, most members of

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2520-420: The law does not expressly provide for life without the possibility of release, some convicted persons may never be released, on the grounds that they are too dangerous. In Italy , persons who refuse to cooperate with authorities and are sentenced for mafia activities or terrorism are ineligible for parole and thus will spend the rest of their lives in prison. In Austria, life imprisonment will mean imprisonment for

2580-559: The maximum prison sentence at 45 years, and Portugal abolished all forms of life imprisonment with the prison reforms of Sampaio e Melo in 1884 and has a maximum sentence of 25 years. Life imprisonment in Spain was abolished in 1928, but reinstated in 2015 and upheld by the Constitutional Court in 2021. Serbia previously had a maximum prison sentence of 40 years; life imprisonment was instated in 2019 by amendments to

2640-478: The meeting, "General Bitter Collar" and "Commander Armoured Car" were elected as Communication Secretaries for the unified militias. Interim Government of Ambazonia The Interim Government of Ambazonia is an Ambazonian independence movement, and claims to be the provisional government in exile of the internationally unrecognized state. Formed in the early days of the Anglophone Crisis ,

2700-608: The movement has since splintered into four factions that claim to be the legitimate Interim Government. The Interim Government of Ambazonia was formed from the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF), a nonviolent independence movement. Its members includes former leaders of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), an independence movement that was prominent in

2760-402: The offender’s life. Parole is possible, but even if paroled, the offender remains under the supervision of Corrections Canada for their lifetime, and can be returned to prison for parole violations. A person serving a life sentence must serve for a certain length of time before becoming eligible for parole. First degree murder and high treason carry the longest period of parole ineligibility in

2820-472: The offensive. He also promised to take action against anyone involved in the kidnapping of civilians, which had become a growing problem in Southern Cameroons. On March 31, 2019, the Interim Government and several Ambazonian movements agreed to create the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council , a united front consisting of both separatists and federalists. However, despite its attempts at uniting

2880-539: The possibility of parole. In the case of mass murder in the US, Parkland mass murderer Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to 34 consecutive terms of life imprisonment (without parole) for murdering 17 people and injuring another 17 at a school. Any sentence without parole effectively means a sentence cannot be suspended; a life sentence without parole, therefore, means that in the absence of unlikely circumstances such as pardon , amnesty or humanitarian grounds (e.g. imminent death),

2940-583: The prisoner will spend the rest of their natural life in prison. In several countries where de facto life terms are used, a release on humanitarian grounds (also known as compassionate release) is commonplace, such as in the case of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi . Since the behaviour of a prisoner serving a life sentence without parole is not relevant to the execution of such sentence, many people among lawyers , penitentiary specialists, criminologists , but most of all among human rights organizations oppose that punishment. In particular, they emphasize that when faced with

3000-426: The remainder of the offender's life unless clemency is granted by the President of Austria or it can be assumed that the convicted person will not commit any further crimes; the probationary period is ten years. In Malta, prior to 2018, there was previously never any possibility of parole for any person sentenced to life imprisonment, and any form of release from a life sentence was only possible by clemency granted by

3060-456: The separatists, critics accused the Sako cabinet of incompetence and misappropriation of funds. On May 2, 2019, a document signed by Ayuk Tabe declared that the Sako-led interim cabinet had been dissolved, and that his own pre-arrest cabinet had been restored. The document expressed recognition for the job the Sako-led cabinet had done, but claimed that infighting had rendered it unfit to continue;

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3120-598: The ten leaders, including Ayuk Tabe, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Yaoundé Military Tribunal. Following the arrest of most of the Interim Government, Samuel Ikome Sako was elected in a diaspora electoral college to acting president in February 2018. In an attempt to unite several local militias under a single banner, the Interim Government created the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council (ASC) in March 2018. While

3180-512: The time of the reform, at least 117 prisoners were serving natural life imprisonment, consisting of 70 whose original death sentences were commuted to life (without parole) prior to the reform, and another 47 whose sentences of life were imposed by the courts, and all of these life convicts were allowed to have their jail terms reduced to between 30 and 40 years in jail. In November 2023, four drug traffickers - Zulkipli Arshad, Wan Yuriilhami Wan Yaacob, Ghazalee Kasim and Mohamad Junaidi Hussin - became

3240-435: Was a significant case in juvenile justice. In Jacksonville , Florida, Terrence J. Graham tried to rob a restaurant along with three adolescent accomplices. During the robbery, one of Graham's accomplices had a metal bar that he used to hit the restaurant manager twice in the head. Once arrested, Graham was charged with attempted armed robbery and armed burglary with assault/battery. The maximum sentence he faced for these charges

3300-476: Was an appeal by Abdul Nasir bin Amer Hamsah on 20 August 1997 that led to the law in Singapore to change the definition of life imprisonment into a sentence that lasts the remainder of the prisoner's natural life, with the possibility of parole after at least 20 years. Abdul Nasir was a convicted robber and kidnapper who was, in two separate High Court trials, sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment and 18 strokes of

3360-484: Was because the European Court of Human Rights stated in 2013 that lifelong imprisonment without the chance of being released is inhuman. Even in other European countries that do provide for life without parole, courts continue to retain judicial discretion to decide whether a sentence of life should include parole or not. In Albania , the decision of whether or not a life-convicted person is eligible for parole

3420-524: Was created. Days later, it declared an immediate end to a lockdown in Fako Division , previously declared by the Interim Government. Although the ASC is loyal to the Interim Government, and the Interim Government is part of the SCLC, the ASC refused to end the lockdown. In its refusal to obey the order, the ASC cited the lack of consultation by the SCLC. By 2021, the ASC had become more commonly known as

3480-519: Was impeached. General Mad Dog began attacking the forces of then-ARF chief commander Lekeaka Oliver , and General No Pity's troops killed Insobu in April 2022. Oliver was killed in July, either by government forces or rival rebels. In August 2022, more than 50 ARF commanders met to agree to a more organized unification of the ARF as well as to distance themselves from the exile leadership of the rebellion. At

3540-469: Was involved in another robbery. Since he violated the conditions of his probation, his probation officer reported to the trial court about his probation violations a few weeks before Graham turned 18 years old. It was a different judge presiding over his trial for the probation violations a year later. While Graham denied any involvement in the robbery, he did admit to fleeing from the police. The trial court found that Graham violated his probation by "committing

3600-408: Was life without the possibility of parole, and the prosecutor wanted to charge him as an adult. During the trial, Graham pleaded guilty to the charges, resulting in three years of probation, one year of which had to be served in jail. Since he had been awaiting trial in jail, he already served six months and, therefore, was released after six additional months. Within six months of his release, Graham

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