NIGERIA: RINVIATO INIZIO PROCESSO PER AMINA

  KATSINA (NIGERIA), 25 MARZO - Un tribunale islamico nigeriano di Katsina, nel nord della Nigeria, ha aggiornato al 3 giugno l'inizio del processo d'appello di Amina Lawal, la nigeriana di 31 annicondannata a morte per lapidazione per adulterio sabato scorso.

Lo riferiscono fonti giudiziarie.

L'avvocato della difesa, Musa Aliyu Yawuri, ha dichiarato di aver chiesto il rinvio poiche' solo due dei quattro giudici erano presenti all'udienza odierna.

La condanna di Amina ha suscitato la protesta di molti paesi, creando imbarazzo al governo federale nigeriano, che pur contrario all'applicazione della sharia (la legge islamica) negli affari penali, dichiara che non ha la possibilita' di metterla da parte.

Amina Lawal e' stata condannata a morte sabato da un tribunale del nord della Nigeria, poiche' aveva avuto un terzo figlio dopo il divorzio.

Secondo la sharia, una donna sposata una prima volta, anche se ha divorziato, commette adulterio se ha rapporti sessuali senza essersi nuovamente sposata.

Amina Lawal ha assistito all'udienza d'appello con la figliletta Wasila in braccio.

Una dozzina di stati nel nord della Nigeria, regione a maggioranza musulmana, hanno ripristinato la sharia nel 1999, nonostante l'opposizione del governo federale, dei cristiani e delle organizzazioni dei diritti umani.

NIGERIA 25/3/2003

CASO AMINA: RINVIATO L'APPELLO

� stato rinviato al 3 giugno prossimo il processo d'appello che coinvolge Amina Lawal, la trentaduenne nigeriana condannata a morte per adulterio. Il tribunale islamico dello Stato di Katsina (Nigeria settentrionale) ha cos� aggiornato il ricorso presentato dai legali della donna, dal momento che solo due dei quattro giudici della corte erano presenti al processo.

Aliyu Yawuri, per la proroga. Alcuni commentatori sostengono che la decisione di rinviare il processo al prossimo mese di giugno intende allontanare le polemiche legate al caso di Amina dalle delicatissime elezioni politiche, amministrative e presidenziali che si svolgeranno in Nigeria a partire da met� aprile.

 La donna � stata riconosciuta colpevole il 22 marzo del 2002 di adulterio e condannata a morte per lapidazione da un tribunale islamico in base alla 'Shar�a' (legge coranica), applicata in dodici dei trentasei Stati della Nigeria.

Lo scorso 19 agosto era stato respinto un primo ricorso presentato dai legali di Amina alla corte di appello del Tribunale islamico di Funtua (Stato di Katsina). Il suo caso, analogamente a quello di Safya Husseini, ha suscitato una grande mobilitazione dell�opinione pubblica internazionale che fino ad ora non � riuscita a fermare il sistema giudiziario islamico del nord della Nigeria.

In occasione del primo giudizio di appello, il ministro della giustizia nigeriano Kanu Agabi si era dichiarato totalmente contrario al verdetto. Anche se di fatto l�applicazione della shar�a � incostituzionale, la legge islamica continua ad essere praticata nei tribunali delle zone settentrionali del Paese, a netta maggioranza musulmana.

Nigerian mum's stoning appeal delayed by judge's absence

KATSINA, Nigeria  - A Nigerian Islamic court postponed by more than two months mother-of-three Amina Lawal's second appeal against being stoned to death after its chief judge failed to turn up.

Defence lawyer Musa Aliyu Yawuri told AFP at the courthouse in the northern city of Katsina that the state's chief Sharia law official, Grand Khadi Aminu Ibrahim, was ill and had travelled to Germany for treatment.

"The prosecution was here this morning and they told us the position of the state in this case," he said. "We both agreed for an adjournment which has been fixed for June 3."

Although there was no suggestion at court that a deal had been done, observers noted that it was convenient that the postponement will put the politically explosive trial off until after next month's key elections.

Lawal, a 31-year-old village housewife, sat impassively in the court in a green dress and headscarf, cradling her 16-month old girl Wasila, whose birth caused her divorced mother to be denounced as an adulteress.

"I have put my faith in God," she told AFP after the hearing was postponed. "I believe whatever comes out of this trial is from Him."

"I'm not much bothered about the adjournment. I know the case is before the court and eventually a judgement will be passed," the slight Muslim woman said, speaking softly in her native Hausa language.

Twelve states in northern Nigeria have controversially re-adopted the Sharia criminal code since Nigeria's 1999 return to civilian rule.

Lawal's case and two more like it have drawn fierce international criticism and sparked controversy within Nigeria, where many Christians fear the Muslim north is attempting to Islamicise Nigeria.

Tensions between the two religious groups, who make up around half each of Nigeria's 120 million population, often explode into violence.

Thousands have died in rioting between Muslims and Christians since the Islamic-majority northern states began re-introducing Sharia criminal law in the teeth of opposition from the federal government.

International observers who travelled to Katsina for the hearing said they were disappointed that Lawal will now have to wait at least two more months in fear and doubt before learning of her fate.

Catherine Mabille, of the French-based legal rights group Lawyers without Borders, said: "Living like that having been sentenced to death and then waiting for months on end for an appeal to be decided is very hard."

And Enrique Restoy of the global rights group Amnesty International said: "You have a woman living for months and months with a death sentence hanging over her, it is very hard."

Lawal was convicted of adultery in a village Sharia court in Bakori, a small farming community in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, in March last year.

Her case was taken up by human rights lawyers concerned at what they saw as deep flaws in the proceedings, but on August 19 last year the Upper Sharia Court in the market town of Funtua threw out an appeal.

On Tuesday she took her appeal to the Sharia Appeal Court in the state capital. If she fails to have her sentence quashed she can appeal again to a federal court and eventually the the Supreme Court in Abuja.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has told the international media that he is confident that once the case reaches the federal level Lawal will be saved, but he has been careful to avoid offending Muslim opinion at home.

Next month Nigeria will hold the first legislative and presidential elections since Obasanjo's 1999 election brought to an end Nigeria's latest bout of military rule, and the Christian president wants Muslim votes.

Lawal is not in custody and the Funtua court has granted a stay of execution until January 2004.

Two more women have been convicted of adultery and sentenced to stoning in Nigeria. One has been acquitted on appeal, the other is waiting at home for an appeal date.

Islamic court delays appeal of Nigerian woman condemned to death by stoning

Mar 25, 2003

By OLOCHE SAMUEL,

KATSINA, Nigeria - An Islamic court in northern Nigeria on Tuesday delayed the appeal of a woman condemned to death by stoning a year ago, despite the insistence of Nigeria's government that she should be freed.

Officials of the Shariah Appeals Court said Amina Lawal's case was being postponed until June 3 because the chief judge, was ill.

Lawal, a 31-year-old single mother, was sentenced in March 2002 to be buried up to her neck in sand and then stoned for giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

Appearing at the courthouse with her toddler, Lawal did not betray any emotion about the postponement.

"I've left everything to God. I do not feel anything right now. I know God's judgment is the best and will prevail," she said.

Many observers accused court officials of delaying the case to avoid potential political fallout ahead of Nigeria's elections in April.

The case has galvanized protests from international rights and womens' groups. Cabinet members in President Olusegun Obasanjo's government repeatedly insisted last year that Lawal should not be stoned. Government officials were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

25 de marzo de 2003

Nigeria.- Amnist�a lamenta el nuevo aplazamiento de la revisi�n de la sentencia de muerte por lapidaci�n de Amina Lawal

Amnist�a Internacional (AI) lament� hoy la decisi�n del Tribunal de Apelaciones del Estado de Katsina, en el norte de Nigeria, de postergar la fecha para la audiencia de apelaci�n de la condena a muerte por lapidaci�n de Amina Lawal. La nueva fecha fijada es el pr�ximo 3 de junio. La raz�n esgrimida PUBLICIDAD

en esta ocasi�n para el aplazamiento --el quinto desde que se reabri� el caso-- es la ausencia de algunos de los jueces que deb�an comparecer en la vista. En un comunicado, la organizaci�n anunci� que mantendr� la recogida de firmas a trav�s de la Web www.amnistiapornigeria.org , como parte de la presi�n internacional para evitar que se ejecute la sentencia a muerte por lapidaci�n tanto de Amina como de las otras cuatro personas condenadas en Nigerua, Yanusa Rafin Chiyawa, Ahmadu Brahim, Fatima Usman y Sarimu Mohammed. Hasta el momento se han recogido 3.572.000 firmas.

"En definitiva, se trata de conseguir poner fin a la aplicaci�n de penas crueles e inhumanas, y de lograr la abolici�n de la pena de muerte en Nigeria", se�ala la organizaci�m.

AI reitera su petici�n a las autoridades nigerianas de que tomen las medidas necesarias para impedir que se sigan imponiendo este tipo de sentencias, contrarias a la Constituci�n de Nigeria, que proh�be las penas crueles e inhumanas, as� como a los tratados internacionales ratificados por este pa�s, entre ellos la Convenci�n contra la Tortura y otros tratos crueles, inhumanos o degradantes.

El 22 de marzo de 2002, el Tribunal de la Sharia de Bakori sentenci� a muerte a Amina Lawal, despu�s de que ella confesara haber tenido una ni�a mientras estaba divorciada. El supuesto padre de la hija neg� haber mantenido relaciones sexuales con ella y los cargos contra �l fueron desestimados.

Amina Lawal no tuvo representaci�n legal durante las dos vistas previas a la sentencia, celebradas el 13 y 20 de febrero de 2002. Posteriormente recurri� el fallo con la ayuda de Baobab, una organizaci�n nigeriana de defensa de los derechos de las mujeres.

Amnist�a Internacional ha manifestado su preocupaci�n por la aplicaci�n de los nuevos c�digos penales basados en la Sharia desde enero de 2000 en doce Estados del norte de Nigeria.

Las principales preocupaciones de Amnist�a Internacional al respecto son la aplicaci�n de la pena de muerte; los castigos crueles, inhumanos y degradantes; el incumplimiento de las normas internacionales sobre juicio justo; la discriminaci�n por raz�n de g�nero y estatus social y la falta de formaci�n judicial de los jueces de los tribunales de Sharia.

El Tribunal de Katsina ajorna fins al 3 de juny la vista a Amina Lawal

KATSINA (NIG�RIA), 25  El Tribunal d'Apel�laci� de l'Estat isl�mic nigeri� de Katsina (nord) ha ajornat, fins al proper 3 de juny, la vista del recurs presentat per Amina Lawal, condemnada a morir lapidada per adulteri.

Segons han informat fonts judicials, despr�s d'una PUBLICIDAD

curta audi�ncia, l'advocat de la defensa, Musa Aliyu Yawuri, ha arribat a un acord amb els fiscals de l'Estat perqu� el proc�s sigui ajornat fins al 3 de juny, despr�s de constatar que nom�s dos dels quatre jutges del Tribunal s'havien presentat a l'audi�ncia.

El 22 de mar� de 2002, Amina Lawal va ser condemnada a morir lapidada per haver tingut un fill fora del matrimoni. La sent�ncia va ser confirmada a l'agost de 2002 i, en principi, l'execuci� est� prevista per al 2004, quan el nad� acabi el per�ode de lact�ncia.

L'apel�laci� es va comen�ar a revisar el gener passat i s'esperava que la sent�ncia s'anunci�s avui, quan precisament es compleix un any de l'audi�ncia que va resoldre a Safiya Hussaini, que tamb� havia estat condemnada a mort per lapidaci�.

Aquell mateix dia, AI va llan�ar una campanya per defensar la vida d'Amina Lawal, amb la qual fins ara ha recollit 3,5 milions.