Unchained Vibes Africa in union with several Nigerian, African and international organizations have called on President, Muhammadu Buhari, to release Nigerian Sufi singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu who has been placed on death sentence since 2020.
Sharif-Aminu, a Kano-based Sufi musician was arrested in March 2020, on charges of blasphemy for allegedly insulting the prophet Muhammad in two WhatsApp audio messages, and held without bail. While under arrest, his house was burnt down by a mob.
He was deprived of a lawyer during his trial, and sentenced to death by hanging in August 2020 for violating section 382(b) of the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law.
Although another court overturned Sharif-Aminu’s conviction, a retrial was ordered where he would likely face the death penalty. He is currently appealing his case at the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the grounds that 382(b) is unconstitutional and in violation of international law, including the African Charter.
A statement signed by Unchained Vibes Africa and several Nigerian, African and international organization said the young musician has spent three years in prison for his ‘peaceful and brief remarks that merely expressed his religious beliefs’.
The group stated that as members of African Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which both protect freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief Kano State Blasphemy Law violates these international laws and the Nigerian Constitution.
“The African Charter and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also requires that the death penalty be reserved only for the most serious crimes in those States that have not abolished the death penalty. In no sense can the mere posting of peaceful audio messages expressing one’s beliefs amount to a severe crime warranting death, or even any crime at all.
“International observers have condemned the continuing prosecution of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and called for his release. On April 20 of this year, the European Parliament overwhelmingly called on Nigeria to immediately release Sharif-Aminu and found that Nigeria’s blasphemy laws “are in violation of its international human rights commitments, the African Charter and the Nigerian Constitution. Officials from the United Nations have similarly raised concerns over his prosecution and called for his release, as have the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Yahaya Sharif-Aminu should never have been arrested and imprisoned in the first instance. Instead, he has had to suffer mob violence and spend years in prison for simply and peacefully sharing his belief with others.
“A democracy cannot function when the most basic freedoms are not protected, and as the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria’s example matters.”
Nigeria, the group said, can set a strong example of its willingness to protect the rights of its citizens through the President Buhari’s immediate release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.
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