Mubarak Bala, Nigerian human rights activist and President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, has been in prison for exactly one year. The reason: Bala allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed in a Facebook post. However, no official charges have been brought to date. He faces the death penalty for blasphemy under Islamic Sharia law in the state of Kano. The prison conditions for Bala in Nigeria are also worrying and the legal proceedings in no way meet legal standards. He was only allowed to speak to his lawyer after more than five months in detention. He told him about threats in prison. He fears for his life, but also for that of his wife and child.
Humanists around the world are drawing attention to the lawless situation of Mubarak Bala on the sad anniversary of his arrest today. Together with over 51 organizations and numerous individuals, the Humanist Association of Germany (HVD) has sent an open letter to the Governor of Kano State in Nigeria, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, calling for Bala’s immediate release.
The HVD Federal Association had already contacted Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in May last year and asked for support in the case of Mubarak Bala. “Today, we are once again asking the Federal Government for its commitment to upholding human rights in Nigeria and specifically for the life of Mubarak Bala,” says HVD Board Spokesman Erwin Kress.
You can find the German translation of the open letter here . The English version can also be downloaded on the website of our international partner organization Humanists International .
We call on organizations, media representatives and individuals to share and publicize the Open Letter to support Mubarak Bala in this way.
