Amina Lawal wins her appeal

SABC

September 25, 2003, 12:52 PM

A Nigerian woman sentenced under Islamic law to die by stoning won her
appeal against the sentence today. "It is the view of this court that the
judgement of the Upper Sharia Court, Funtua, was very wrong and the appeal
of Amina Lawal is hereby discharged and acquitted," judge Ibrahim Maiangwa
said, reading the judgement of the appeals court.

South Africa's Human Rights Commission said Amina Lawal could have
appealed to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights if her
appeal had failed today.

A lower court earlier found her guilty of adultery for having a child out
of wedlock, and sentenced her to be stoned to death. Jody Collapen, the
HRC chairman, said Nigeria is a signatory to the African Charter on human
rights and the country is obliged to offer Lawal a pardon.

The case has attracted international concern. Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian
President, had described the earlier ruling as unconstitutional.
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