Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Gabon (Ratification: 1961)

Article 1, subparagraph a, of the Convention. Imposition of a sentence of imprisonment involving compulsory labour as punishment for expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. For many years, the Committee has been drawing the Government’s attention to the provisions of section 2, second subsection, of Act No. 22/84 of 29 December 1984 on prison labour, under the terms of which political prisoners sentenced at one and the same time for related offences under ordinary law are treated as ordinary law prisoners and, by virtue of section 3 of the Act, are required to work. The Government recognized previously that section 2 of Act No. 22/84 was unclear, indicating that pending the necessary amendment it had taken measures to prohibit prison labour.

In its latest report, the Government indicates that the information sent previously remains valid and that there have been no political prisoners or prisoners of conscience since the advent of democracy in 1990. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether prison labour is still prohibited and, if so, to provide a copy of the decision so ruling. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to make the necessary amendments to section 2 of the Act on prison labour taking into account the comments it has been making for many years so that it is quite clear from the legislation that persons expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system may not be sentenced to imprisonment involving compulsory labour.