Annulation de la condamnation a mort par lapidation d'un
Nigerian pour sodomie
KANO (Nigeria), 23 mars - Un tribunal islamique d'appel
de l'Etat de Bauchi (nord du Nigeria) a annule la condamnation a mort par
lapidation d'un homme accuse d'avoir eu des relations sexuelles avec trois
jeunes garcons, a annonce mardi le porte-parole du gouvernement de l'Etat,
Mohammed Abdullahi.
Jibrin Babaji, 23 ans, avait ete arrete le 14 septembre a
Bauchi, capitale de l'Etat du meme nom, par la hisba, un groupe charge
de l'application de la loi islamique (charia) en vigueur dans cet
Etat a majorite musulmane, et inculpe de "sodomie".
Le 23 septembre, il a comparu devant un tribunal islamique de
l'Etat de Bauchi et avoue avoir verse 10 nairas (6 centimes d'euros) a
trois enfants, dont deux ages de 10 ans et l'autre de 13 ans, en echange de
relations sexuelles.
Le juge Sani Jibril Darazo l'avait reconnu coupable de sodomie
et condamne a etre lapide. L'accuse avait immediatement annonce
son pourvoi en appel.
Lundi, la haute cour islamique de l'Etat de Bauchi State a
annule en appel cette condamnation, arguant que la juridiction inferieure
n'avait pas strictement applique certaines regles de la charia, en
particulier la necessite de la comparution de quatre temoins pour prononcer
une condamnation.
M. Abdullahi a indique que la cour d'appel avait ordonne au
juge du tribunal de juridiction inferieure, Sani Darazo, de presenter
des "excuses sans reserve et a payer une compensation de 3.000 nairas (environ
19 euros) aux jeunes garcons" precedemment condamnes a recevoir 6
coups de badine.
Douze Etats a majorite musulmane du nord du Nigeria ont
reintroduit la charia (stricte loi islamique) depuis le retour d'un regime
civil en 1999 en depit de l'opposition exprimee par le gouvernement federal, les
Chretiens du pays, et des organisations de defense des droits de
l'Homme.
News
Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International
AI
INDEX: AFR 44/009/2004 25 March 2004
Nigeria:
Another sentence to death by stoning under new Sharia penal law
quashed on appeal
Amnesty
International welcomes the recent decision by the Upper Sharia Court
of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria to quash Jubrin Babaji's sentence
of death by stoning for "sodomy".
This
latest development follows a number of cases where convictions and
sentences to death have been quashed on appeal, including most
recently the case of Yunusa Rafin Chiyawa on 14 November 2003.
"The
quashing, on appeal, of another conviction and sentence to death by
stoning under the new Sharia penal legislation on the grounds that the
trial was unfair, is a positive trend," Amnesty International
said.
Jubrin
Babaji was convicted and sentenced on 25 September 2003 for the
offence termed as 'sodomy' in Section 133 of the Sharia Penal Code Law
2001 of Bauchi State. An appeal was submitted by the Nigerian
non-governmental organization Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP)
which provided a team of defence lawyers.
According
to LEDAP, the conviction was quashed on the basis of the denial of the
right of Jubrin Babaji to a fair trial. The main reasons for the
acquittal were based on the fact that the lower Sharia court had
breached the principles of a fair hearing since Jubrin Babaji was not
represented by a legal counsel. Furthermore, his alleged confession
was deemed not to qualify as a confession according to new Sharia
penal legislation.
Although
Jubrin Babaji's conviction has been quashed, the appeal in another
case involving a sentence to death by stoning against Fatima Usman and
Ahmadu Ibrahim is still pending with a Sharia Court of Appeal in
Minna, Niger State.
"The
death penalty violates the right to life and is the ultimate cruel,
inhuman and degrading punishment, according to Amnesty International.
The organization unconditionally opposes the use of the death penalty
in all cases and for all crimes."
The
Nigerian government should take steps to abolish the death penalty and
amend legislation which provides for the death penalty as well as
other cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments at all levels of
Nigerian legislation, including the new Sharia penal legislation.
An
Amnesty International delegation met members of the National Study
Group on the Death Penalty during a recent visit to Nigeria to
continue the appeal for the group to recommend abolition of the death
penalty and an immediate moratorium on any pending executions in its
final recommendations to the Federal Government. The recommendations
are due in June 2004.
View
all documents on Nigeria at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maab4YAaa5se7bb0havb/
For
current and background information on the death penalty please visit
the dedicated Death Penalty Pages at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maab4YAaa5se8bb0havb/
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