Mubarak Bala is the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. He was arrested at his home in Kaduna on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 after a Kano lawyer made a complaint about a Facebook post that appeared two days earlier on Mubarak’s account.
Mubarak was taken to Kano the following day and held incommunicado for months. The police authorities refused to admit he was in their custody and refused to confirm he was alive. Mabarak was not permitted to see his lawyers until November that year—four months after a court ordered that his lawyers be granted access.
On May 8, 2020, Mubarak’s lawyers filed a Fundamental Rights Enforcement (FRE) petition. Such petitions have a special standing in Nigerian law, especially when the petitioner is deprived of his liberty. Such cases must be treated as emergency cases and must be heard within seven days.
To the shame and discredit of the Nigerian judicial system, a long series of prevarications and delays followed and Mubarak’s FRE petition was not heard until October 19. Then the decision was delayed until December 21. But, when it came the decision was the right one. The court found that Mubarak was being detained in gross violation of his fundamental rights. The court ordered that Mubarak be released immediately and ordered the payment of compensation.
At the time of writing, Mubarak remains incarcerated and he has not been brought to trial. The Kano authorities are responsible for a long list of egregious abuses of human rights and legal process, including contempt of court.
Below you will find all our coverage of Mubarak’s case.

Mubarak Bala: Two Years in Prison Today
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Mubarak Was Not Charged with Blasphemy
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Mubarak Bala Sentenced
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Mubarak Bala Appears in Court
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Mubarak Bala Urgent Appeal
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Human Rights Lawyers Appeal to President Buhari to Intervene on Behalf of Mubarak Bala
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Mubarak Bala: One year illegally detained in Nigeria
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Judge Orders Mubarak Bala’s Release
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Nigerian Court Fails to Deliver Mubarak Bala Judgment
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Mubarak Bala: Best News for 24 Weeks
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Mubarak is Alive!
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Has Mubarak Bala Been Killed?
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Mubarak’s Wife Appeals to Nigerian Senate
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Kano Police Chief Rips up Court Order
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Mrs Amina Mubarak Tells Her Story
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Mubarak Bala: Putting His Accuser To The Test
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Mrs A Mubarak Speaks
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Happy Birthday, My Brother, Mubarak Bala!
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Mubarak—45 Days in Custody
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Mubarak Bala Detention: 14-Day Update
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Free Mubarak Bala!
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