Jos, 10 January, 2025 / 3:42 pm (ACI Africa).
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights foundation, has urged the Nigerian government “to repeal” its blasphemy law, noting that the legal provision is “a dangerous driver of religious extremism” in the West African nation.
It was against the law that the president of the Nigerian Humanist Society, Mubarak Bala, was arrested on 28 April 2020 and initially sentenced to 24 years in prison for allegedly “insulting Islam” in Facebook posts. CSW confirmed reports that Bala, an atheist, was released on January 7 after his sentence was repealed in the country.
Welcoming Bala’s release, CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas has decried Nigeria’s disregard of the “freedoms of expression, thought, conscience, and belief,” as enshrined in the country’s constitution and international law.
“CSW welcomes the release of Mubarak Bala. We reiterate that his arrest and conviction violated Nigeria’s constitution and its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with regard to the freedoms of expression, thought, conscience, and belief,” Mervyn is quote as saying in a Wednesday, January 8 report.
He adds, “We now call on the Nigerian authorities to ensure Mr Bala’s safety, and that he is able to enjoy his freedom without further harassment.”
