ナイジェリア：
歌手の死刑囚　深刻な体調

Kano State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice
Haruna Isa Dederi
Kano State Ministry of Justice
Emails: https://justice.kn.gov.ng / info@justice.kn.gov.ng

Dear Attorney General,

I am writing in grave concern for the life of 25-year-old singer Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu. On 10 August 2020, an Upper Sharia Court in Kano state convicted and sentenced to death Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu (who was then 21 years old) of “blasphemy” for circulating a song on WhatsApp that was considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad SAW. In January 2021, a High Court in Kano State overturned Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu’s conviction and ordered his case to be retried due to irregularities in the original trial.

Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu’s lawyers appealed the decision for a retrial, indicating that he will still face the same blasphemy law of Kano State and asked the Kano Division Appeal Court to dismiss the case entirely and declare the blasphemy law unconstitutional. In August 2022, Kano Division Appeal Court affirmed the High Court’s order for a retrial and upheld the blasphemy law as constitutional. In November 2022, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu’s lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Nigeria, challenging the constitutionality of the blasphemy laws of Kano State. Two years on, the date for the hearing has yet to be fixed. In the meantime, Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu remains held at Jos Correctional Facility in Plateau State Nigeria pending his appeal before the Supreme Court.

In March 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu in detention and found him in poor health as he has severe asthma and periodically needs an inhaler and related medications. Additionally, he was not provided with food and adequate clothing - things he was still not being given access to until that point. In November 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sharif-Aminu again and, although he is recuperating due to medications supplied to him by his family, when possible, he still requires regular access to his medications which is not currently being adequately provided for.

Blasphemy laws are a violation of the right to freedom of expression. Additionally, the use of the death penalty for “blasphemy” violates Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which restricts the use of this punishment to the “most serious crimes”, which the UN Human Rights Committee has clarified as referring to intentional killing.

I urge you to drop the charges against Yahaya Aminu Sheriff to ensure his immediate and unconditional release and work towards securing the timely setting of a date for appeal hearing. In the meantime, he must be held in detention conditions that conform to international standards (as per the Mandela Rules) and be granted immediate access to adequate health care, as well as adequate food and clothing.

Yours sincerely,

Kano State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice
Haruna Isa Dederi
Kano State Ministry of Justice
Emails: https://justice.kn.gov.ng / info@justice.kn.gov.ng

Dear Attorney General,

I am writing in grave concern for the life of 25-year-old singer Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu. On 10 August 2020, an Upper Sharia Court in Kano state convicted and sentenced to death Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu (who was then 21 years old) of “blasphemy” for circulating a song on WhatsApp that was considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad SAW. In January 2021, a High Court in Kano State overturned Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu’s conviction and ordered his case to be retried due to irregularities in the original trial.

Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu’s lawyers appealed the decision for a retrial, indicating that he will still face the same blasphemy law of Kano State and asked the Kano Division Appeal Court to dismiss the case entirely and declare the blasphemy law unconstitutional. In August 2022, Kano Division Appeal Court affirmed the High Court’s order for a retrial and upheld the blasphemy law as constitutional. In November 2022, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu’s lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Nigeria, challenging the constitutionality of the blasphemy laws of Kano State. Two years on, the date for the hearing has yet to be fixed. In the meantime, Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu remains held at Jos Correctional Facility in Plateau State Nigeria pending his appeal before the Supreme Court.

In March 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu in detention and found him in poor health as he has severe asthma and periodically needs an inhaler and related medications. Additionally, he was not provided with food and adequate clothing - things he was still not being given access to until that point. In November 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sharif-Aminu again and, although he is recuperating due to medications supplied to him by his family, when possible, he still requires regular access to his medications which is not currently being adequately provided for.

Blasphemy laws are a violation of the right to freedom of expression. Additionally, the use of the death penalty for “blasphemy” violates Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which restricts the use of this punishment to the “most serious crimes”, which the UN Human Rights Committee has clarified as referring to intentional killing.

I urge you to drop the charges against Yahaya Aminu Sheriff to ensure his immediate and unconditional release and work towards securing the timely setting of a date for appeal hearing. In the meantime, he must be held in detention conditions that conform to international standards (as per the Mandela Rules) and be granted immediate access to adequate health care, as well as adequate food and clothing.

Yours sincerely,