Author: Bill Flavell
Mubarak Bala: One year illegally detained in Nigeria
Nigeria is truly fortunate to have a Federal Constitution that guarantees fundamental human rights. It also has Fundamental Rights Enforcement Rules designed to ensure “enhanced access to justice for all classes of litigants, especially the poor, the illiterate, the uninformed, the vulnerable, the incarcerated, and the unrepresented.” Everyone from the man-in-the-street, the police, po...
Private Data Taken by Former Employees
PRESS RELEASE February 19, 2021 For immediate release Atheist Alliance International (AAI) has had a serious breach of its subscriber data. After subscriber complaints brought email irregularities to our attention, we investigated and found that IAA, an organization formed in February 2020, had used our data to seek donations and market their organization to our subscribers. Atheist Alliance Inter...
Umar Farouk’s new life begins
As previously reported, on January 25, our lawyers collected Umar Farouk from a courtroom in Kano after a judge set aside his blasphemy conviction. With a history of religious mob violence, it was essential to keep him safe for the first few days and then to find long-term accommodation for him in a safe location. Immediately after his release we engaged United Nations help to transfer Umar to Abu...
Umar Farouk is FREE!
Today, prison guards escorted Umar Farouk to a Kano court where he was handed over to our lawyers. Sixteen-year-old* Umar had been found guilty of blasphemy in a Kano magistrates court on August 10 and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with menial labor. AAI assembled a team of human rights lawyers who successfully appealed the sentence. It is a joy to see this young boy free at last. I woul...
Judge Orders Mubarak Bala’s Release
At the Abuja High Court today, Justice Inyang Ekpo, found that Mubarak Bala has been held illegally for more than seven months and ordered his immediate and unconditional release. Ekpo signed a release order that will be served on the Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu. The Judge awarded Mubarak N250,000 (~$500 USD) compensation for the violation of his fundamental rights—a...
Nigerian Court Fails to Deliver Mubarak Bala Judgment
The Pride of Nigeria There are two things Nigerians should be deeply proud of. The Federal Constitution, echoing the inspiring words found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, defines and guarantees a list of freedoms and rights that any modern democracy would be honored to call their own. These include the rights to life, dignity, personal liberty, a fair trial, and to be presumed innoce...
Open Letter to East Carolina University
Today, East Carolina University announced they are honoring Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State, Nigeria with a visiting professorship. Ganduje, you will remember, presided over the egregious mistreatment of Mubarak Bala and said he wouldn’t waste a minute to sign the execution warrant for singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu for the “offense” of blasphemy. This is surely on...