Death Sentence Of Kano Singer Must Be Quashed – Says Amnesty International
Global human rights organisation, Amnesty International has condemned the death sentence passed on a Kano-based singer, Yahaya Sharif Aminu.
Reacting via its Twitter handle, the group described the sentence passed on the singer for blasphemy as a travesty of justice.
Amnesty international’s tweets came three days after 22-year-old Sharif was sentenced to death by hanging by the Kano Upper Shari’a Court in Hausawa Filin Hockey area of the state.
The judge, Aliyu Kani, said he found Sharif guilty as charged and convicted him based on Section 382 (b) of the Kano Penal Code of 2000.
But Amnesty International believes there are serious concerns about the fairness of Sharif’s trial and the framing of the charges against him based on WhatsApp messages.
“The imposition of the death penalty following an unfair trial violates the right to life.
“The authorities of Kano State must immediately quash the conviction and death sentence of Yahaya Sharif Aminu, who was sentenced to death by hanging on spurious charges of blasphemy by the Kano Upper Shari’a Court,” it said.
Sharif, a resident of Sharifai in Kano metropolis, was accused of committing the crime against the prophet of Islam in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020.
This sparked outrage on the part of some youths who staged a protest and burned the singer’s family home.
The protesters later led a procession to the command headquarters of Hisbah – a state government-owned security outfit that enforces the Shariah law in the highly conservative state.
Read the tweets by the human rights group below:
The authorities of Kano State must immediately quash the conviction and death sentence of Yahaya Sharif Aminu, who was sentenced to death by hanging on spurious charges of blasphemy by the Kano Upper Shari’a Court. #Nigeria
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) August 13, 2020
#Kano blasphemy sentence is a travesty of justice. There are serious concerns about the fairness of his trial; and the framing of the charges against him based on Whatsapp messages. The imposition of the death penalty following an unfair trial violates the right to life.
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) August 13, 2020
