Amnesty International USA


	In a joint venture, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Amnesty International USA unite to help save Amina Lawal from death by stoning.
	Amina Lawal, a 30 year-old Muslim woman, was sentenced to stoning to death by a Shari'ah court at Bakori in Katsina State in northern Nigeria. Amina allegedly confessed to having had a child while divorced. Pregnancy outside of marriage constitutes sufficient evidence for a woman to be convicted of adultery according to the new Shari'ah-based penal code for Muslims, introduced in Katsina State.

Ambassador Jibril Muhammad Aminu
Embassy of Nigeria
1333 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Subject

Your Excellency:

I am deeply concerned by the introduction of new Shari'ah based Penal Codes in Northern Nigeria. These new codes establish the death penalty for crimes such as adultery and introduce cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments such as flogging and amputation.

These punishments are in breach of international human rights standards and violate international human rights instruments signed and ratified by your Government.  I kindly call on your Government to take all necessary measures to secure respect for the rule of law in every part of Nigeria that includes respect for the prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

The government of Nigeria must also ensure that no one is discriminated against before the law on grounds of his or her religion, sex or social status.

I also call on the Federal Government of the Republic of Nigeria to ensure that Amina Lawal, who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery in Bakori, Katsina State, is not executed under any circumstance.

Sincerely,

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