International Criminal Court

Oude Waalsdorperweg 10,

2597 AK Den Haag,

Netherlands

Thursday 30 November 2017

Dear Sirs,

I write further to our communication about the massacre in Zaria, Nigeria in December 2015.

Following on from that attack, as detailed in our communication to you, there have been numerous attacks against the IMN perpetrated by the Nigerian Army. There has been a new and disturbing development which we wish to make you aware of, so that you may take necessary action.

We have been reliably informed that the Nigerian government is planning to exhume the mass graves of IMN members killed during the 2015 attack in Zaria. There are a number of mass graves around Zaria, with up to 1000 victims buried in them by the Nigerian army.

The exhumation is a move to deliberately destroy evidence of the attack by dispersing the victims’ bodies to unknown locations.

It is imperative that any exhumation does not go ahead under the authority of the Nigerian government or army, as vital evidence will be removed or destroyed. The victims’ bodies should be exhumed under the supervision of an international organisation, like the ICC, so that evidence can be preserved and the victims’ bodies returned to their families. If steps are not taken immediately to secure the mass graves so as to preserve evidence, the perpetrators of the 2015 attack will be able to evade accountability and responsibility for their crimes.

We urge that you take swift action to preserve evidence, for the sake of bringing justice to victims and their families as well to ensure the successful prosecution of those who carried out these dreadful crimes.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Massoud Shadjareh