TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Help save Yahaya’s life!

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu is a 25-year-old singer who is detained in a prison in northern Nigeria. He is at risk of imminent execution after an Upper Shari’a Court sentenced him to death by hanging for circulating a song via WhatsApp considered blasphemous.

There are serious concerns about the fairness of his trial and the framing of the charges against him. Before and during the trail, he was not permitted legal representation. He was only granted access to legal advice to prepare an appeal after human rights lawyers and activists pressured the court to respect his right to legal representation.

Send your letter now to Nigerian leadership — call for the immediate and unconditional release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.

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Governor

Abdullahi

Umar G

Government House, Kano State

Dear Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,

I am writing in concern for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a 25-year-old singer. On 10 August 2020, an Upper Shari’a Court in  Kano state convicted Yahaya Sharif-Aminu of blasphemy for circulating a song on WhatsApp that was considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad and sentenced him to death. He remains held in Kano prison.

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and his lawyer appealed the sentence. On 21 January, the Appeal Panel, presided by the Chief  Judge of Kano State, ordered the retrial of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu’s case. The Panel ordered that the case be returned to the same Upper Shari’a Court where Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced, but should be retried by a different judge on the basis that the defendant was not represented by a legal representative throughout his trial, adding that it was the duty of the court to ensure that he was duly and legally represented especially given the magnitude of the case, which involved the death penalty.

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu should never have been sentenced to death in the first place. No one should be sentenced to death for freely expressing their opinions.

Moreover, imposing the death penalty for blasphemy violates Nigeria’s obligations under the International  Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which restricts the use of the death penalty to the “most serious crimes”, which, according to international law, are crimes that involve intentional killing.

I therefore request that you:

Refrain from signing any execution warrant for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
Drop all charges against Yahaya Sharif-Aminu 
Ensure immediate and unconditional release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Yours Sincerely, 
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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