Fatima
Usman (35 years old) and Ahmadu Ibrahim (37 years old)
Nigeria
Sentenced
to death by stoning
Theyrstory
Fatima and her boyfriend Ahmadu's case
is quite a controversial issue. They were charged of extra-marital
sex and they were earlier sentenced to five years in jail, according
to the Niger State's secular legal code. But later her father asked
Islamic authorities in the New Gawu Area Court (Niger State) a grant
for the couple's would-be born child. To his surprise their only
answer was a sentence to death by stoning "in absentia"
for Fatima and Ahmadu, as Islamic law provides for adultery cases.
Nevertheless, Federal Prison authorities recognized only the first
sentence and did not allow the release of the young couple to the
Islamic court. They are now waiting for an appeal hearing to be set.
Meanwhile, the Islamic judge who issued the capital sentence left
his office. So many further doubts are rising about the legal
rightness of the death sentence pending on them.
The
appeal to save Fatima and Ahmadu
The
Community of Sant'Egidio invites everybody to share its appeal
aiming to spare Fatima and Ahmadu's lives from a death sentence by
stoning, sending the following statement to the competent
authorities of Nigeria, as it occurred in the past, by fax or
e-mail.
URGENT
APPEAL BROUGHT IN BY THE COMMUNITY OF SANT�EGIDIO TO SAVE THE LIVES OF
FATIMA USMAN AND AHMADU IBRAHIM, SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING
Your
Excellencies
We
are writing to express our deep concern over a ruling issued by the Islamic
court of New Gawu that sentenced to death by stoning Ms. Fatima Usman and
Mr. Ahmadu Ibrahim under the charge ofpre-marital sex.
We
urge you to intervene on their behalf to prevent this cruel and inhuman
punishment from being meted out against them.
We
implore you to ensure that this cruel and inhuman sentence is not carried
out.
Respectfully
Yours
(signature
and date)
You can
send the following petition to the Nigerian Authorities (using the E-mail of the
President of the Republic[email protected]
or [email protected])
or by means of the - Send
the appeal
Embassies of Nigeria in your
country, fax or e-mail
and also c.c. to some Nigerian newpapers:
Mission permanente de la R�publique f�d�rale du
Nig�ria aupr�s de l'Office des Nations Unies et des autres organisations
internationales � Gen�ve
the Community of Sant'Egidio
Abolitions, 