Islamic Human Rights Commission
NIGERIA DIGEST 02 September 2018 (Volume 2 Issue 37)

Introduction
Action Alert
Articles and Resources Digest
Videos Section
Archive Section

INTRODUCTION

Next week 07-09 September 2018 mark 1000 days of Zaria massacre and the unlawful detention of Sheikh Zakzaky. IHRC as part of Universal Justice Network is calling for international protests during these three days. Below please find details of this important event and an update on the continuous Free Zakzaky protests in the Nigerian capital Abuja and further details for the ongoing Free Zakzaky campaign.

We request you to join the 1000 Days Campaign with any type of activities in your country or with social media campaigns.

Please email wajahat@ihrc.org with details of any activities planned and forward us responses to any campaign letters/ emails you have sent and please keep the pressure by sending follow up letters / emails. A model letter is provided below in the Action Alert.

To find out more about the Zaria massacre, read IHRC’s submission to the International Criminal Court HERE

To find out how you can help further, please visit the IHRC FreeZakzaky campaign page HERE

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Free Zakzaky!

ACTION ALERTS: 
a) Poster for 1000 Days Campaign
Please share following poster of the 1000 Days campaign and contact wajaht@ihrc.org if you can arrange a vigil / protest in your country;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b) Alert and Model Letter
1. CLICK HERE to send an email to the Commonwealth Secretary General and demand they intervene in this case, a model email / letter and the contact details can be found below for your assistance.

2. Please forward any response you receive to IHRC on wajahat@ihrc.org.

Model email / letter
1000 Days of Unlawful Detention of Sheikh Zakzaky

Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London
SW1Y 5HX

[Date]

Dear Baroness Scotland QC,

Re: Sheikh Zakzaky
I am writing to ask for your urgent intervention and to apply pressure on the Nigerian authorities to immediately release the unlawfully detained leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah. 07 September 2018 marks 1000 days of their unlawful detention.  You are doubtless aware of the details of his case.

On 02 December 2016 the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Sheikh Zakzaky and Muallimah Zeenah should be released within 45 days. The court described their detention, which began in December 2015 as illegal and unconstitutional. The deadline for the court order expired on 16 January 2017 but the Nigerian Government has refused to obey the court order. The Nigerian government has kept them detained illegally for over two years now and Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife still remain in the custody of the state, in clear contempt of the court order.

I am extremely concerned as Sheikh Zakzaky suffered a stroke in early January and his condition has further deteriorated due to continued unlawful detention preventing his medical treatment. He was shot severally more than two years ago, losing his left eye in the process and is currently at a great risk of losing the other eye.

I urge your office to play an active role and make known in unconditional terms that the Nigerian Government will be held directly responsible if anything happens to the Sheikh or his wife and due to the seriousness and urgency of the situation I demand that the Commonwealth secretariat takes the following actions;

1. Send a representative to Nigeria to see Mu’allim Zakzaky, his family and other detainees to assess their situation and intervene to allow specialist medical treatment outside Nigeria.
2. Suspend Nigeria’s membership of the Commonwealth for the violence perpetrated by its army against the IMN;
3. Demand the release of those held after mass arrests or being handed over to civilian police authorities;
4. Demand the Nigerian government provide proper and immediate medical attention to all detainees and that all are released;
5. Call for an independent investigation, under the auspices of an international body like the UN, into the violence against the movement and mass graves. The bodies of those in the mass graves need to be exhumed, identified and returned to their families. The Nigerian government and army needs to be held accountable for these crimes.

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely,
[Signature if posting]
[Name]

Commonwealth Contact Details:
Email: info@commonwealth.int; geneva@commonwealth.int
Postal Address: Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6500
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7930 0827

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES 

Yet Another Massive #FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja on Friday
31 August 2018
#FreeZakzaky Protests continued during this week as well in Nigerian Capital Abuja. On Friday 31 August 2018 another massive protest was arranged.

 

 

 

 

 

Massive #FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja on Wednesday
29 August 2018
Massive Free Sheikh Zakzkay protest was arranged in Abuja on Wednesday the 29th of August 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another #FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja on Tuesday
28 August 2018
Free Zakzkay protest staged in Abuja on Tuesday the 28th of August 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on Monday
27 August 2018
A fresh Free Zakzkay protest was staged in Abuja on Monday the 27th of August 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIDEOS SECTION

IHRC WEEKLY: SHEIKH ZAKZAKY 1000 DAYS IN DETENTION
Published on 31 August 2018
Next week (07-09 September 2018) will mark 1000 days of the unlawful detention of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky. Here is how you can get involved with our global action call.

 

IHRC Protests Killings in Zaria at the Nigerian Embassy in London
Published on 13 Dec 2015
Please click on following link to watch short clip of protest arranged by IHRC in front of Nigerian High Commission in London to Protest Zaria Massacre on 13 December 2015.

ARCHIVE SECTION

CLICK HERE to read Arzu Merali’s blog “The Unbearable Shianess of Mu’allim Ibraheem El-Zakzaky” published on 21 December 2017.

CLICK HERE to read IHRC Report “Investigating the attack against the Islamic Movement of Nigeria on 12-13 December 2015 in Zaria”, published on 21 March 2016.

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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
Twitter @ihrc

The opinions expressed in this digest do not necessarily reflect the views of IHRC