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In
Nigeria Amina Lawal was acquitted from accuses of adultery for having
given birth to little Wasila outside marriage.
The
Community of Sant'Egidio states its satisfaction for the end of a
nightmare which could have deprived a victim of sexual violence of her
life. Acquittal was achieved thanks to the work of lawyers like Indian
jurist Sona Kahn, connected to the Community of Sant'Egidio, and Hauwa
Ibrahim who assumed defence on the spot. Their reasons were heard by the
court which overturned the capital punishment sentence delivered a year
ago, and Amina Lawal was allowed to retract the confession given under
social pressure and stripped of any legal assistance, to the first Islamic
Court reviewing the case.
Since
the day she was condemned, the Community of Sant'Egidio has rallied
together with others, Amnesty International especially, in order to stop
this capital execution reminiscent of the horrors averted in the case of
Safiya Husseini, the Nigerian woman whose case was brought to
international attention by the Community of Sant'Egidio with a large
mobilisation first in Italy, then in the rest of the world.
Unfortunately,
our joy of today as we learn of this victory of law and common sense with
Amina Lawal's acquittal, is accompanied by a new sentence to death in the
state of Bauchi, in North Nigeria. The sentence to death by stoning was
delivered last Tuesday to a man, young Jibrin Babaji, for having slept
with three young men.
Amina
Lawal's acquittal is an important step, but only the first: the struggle
against death penalty goes on with the great mobilisation for the World
Day against the Death Penalty, and the International Day "Cities
for Life � Cities against the Death Penalty", on November 30th,
2003, bound to connect 80 cities around the world: from Rome to Buenos
Aires, from Santiago of Chile to New York.
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the Community of Sant'Egidio
Abolitions, 
