Although I'm saddened to read that, I thank you for posting it. I went to the Amnesty International website after reading your post and found no information, but after sending them an email, I received the following information:
I was forwarded an email from you indicating an interest in helping in this
case.
Here is the most recent update we issued which includes addresses for you
to write to.
Please keep your letters to Nigerian officials respectful and polite since
otherwise it might be counter-productive to the victim.
Thanks for your help.
---------------------------------
U R G E N T A C T I O N U P D A T E
---------------------------------------------------
14 December 2000
Further information on UA 295/00 issued 27 September 2000
Fear of ill-treatment / legal and medical concern
NIGERIA
Bariya Ibrahima Magazu (female), aged 17, sentenced to flogging
Musa Gummi (male), aged 45, sentenced to have a hand amputated
In early December the judge who convicted a 17-year-old pregnant
girl to flogging reportedly said that the sentence will be carried out
despite appeals from human rights groups.
Bariya Ibrahim Magazu is due to give birth any day and it is feared
that the sentence will be carried out soon after the birth, although no
judicial appeal against her conviction or sentence are known to have
been heard.
Bariya Ibrahim Magazu was sentenced to 180 strokes of the cane by
a Sharia (Islamic law) court in Zamfara State in northern Nigeria in
early September. She had no legal representation and was unable to
produce sufficient witnesses to substantiate her allegation that she
had been forced to have sex with three men, one of whom had made
her pregnant. She was sentenced to 100 lashes for having sexual
relations outside marriage, and to a further 80 lashes for falsely
accusing the three men. The authorities are not known to have
ordered paternity tests when the child is born.
It remains unsure what happened to Musa Gummi, who was
sentenced to have his hand amputated for theft, also at the beginning
of September.
This year, a number of floggings and one amputation have been
reported after several states in northern Nigeria introduced harsh
corporal punishments under new laws and penal codes based on an
interpretation of Sharia. Amnesty International considers such
punishment to be cruel, inhuman and degrading, in contravention of
Nigeria's constitution and international human rights standards to
which Nigeria is a party, including the African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, the United Nations (UN) Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/ airmail letters:
- expressing concern that the flogging of 17-year-old Bariya Ibrahim
Magazu will reportedly go ahead, although no appeal against her
conviction or sentence is known to have been heard;
- urging the authorities to take action to prevent the flogging from
being carried out, reminding them that such punishment contravenes
Nigeria's Constitution and international human rights treaties to which
Nigeria is party;
- asking that she and other defendants facing harsh corporal
punishment be provided with state-funded legal counsel and
guaranteed the exercise of their full rights of defence and appeal;
- explaining that although Amnesty International takes no position on
any country's religious or legal system, it is unconditionally opposed
to the use of flogging on the grounds that this constitutes torture or
cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment;
- asking what action the authorities have taken in this case to ensure
that a person who appears to be more victim than offender is not
harshly punished, while those responsible for wrongdoing escape
justice.
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency
Alhaji Ahmed Sani
State Governor, Government House
Gusau,Zamfara State
Nigeria
(or through the Nigerian Embassy)
Alhaji Ibrahima Okala
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General
Government House
Zamfara State
Nigeria
(or through the Nigerian Embassy)
Chief Bola Ige
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation
Ministry of Justice
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
Nigeria
Fax: 011 234 9 523 5208 c/o Minister of Foreign Affairs
(marked for attention Minister of Justice)
E-mail: president.obasanjo@nigeriagov.org or ssa@nopa.net
c/o Presidency(marked for attention Minister of
Justice)
COPIES TO:
Alhaji Sule Lamido
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Maputo Street, Zone 3, Wuse District
PMB 130
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
Nigeria
Fax: 011 234 9 523 0208
Ambassador Jibril Muhammad Aminu
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1333 - 16th St. NW
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 1 202 775 1385
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Please read the monthly Urgent Action Network Newsletter posted on
the web at: amnesty-usa.org
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: sharriso@aiusa.org
amnestyusa.org
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax: 303 258 7881
__________________
I have also sent emails to various news organizations, asking them to report this case, while understanding that different cultures hold different values:
CNN.... feedback@cnn.com
Foxnews..... comments@foxnews.com
links to several ABC "news" programs..
abcnews.go.com
The O'Reilly Factor... oreilly@foxnews.com
I also sent emails to President Clinton and Vice President Gore, although I received automated responses from them, which indicated the emails were not read, but their addresses are:
President Clinton..... president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Gore.... vicepresident@whitehouse.gov
I found addresses for incumbent Senate and Congress people (but it was not updated for newly elected officials from my state, Virginia) at
cache.voter.com |
