Islamic Human Rights Commission
NIGERIA DIGEST 27 January 2019 (Volume 3 Issue 03)

Introduction
Action Alert
Articles
Videos
Archive

INTRODUCTION

Below please find an update on the continuous Free Zakzaky protests. During the last week Kaduna High Court further adjourned the illegal trial of Sheikh Zakzaky to 25 March 2019.

We request campaigners to keep the pressure on the African Union by writing emails/letters, demanding the immediate release of the Sheikh and all those unjustly imprisoned.

Please forward any responses to any campaign letters/ emails you have sent to us and please keep the pressure up and send (follow up) letters/emails.  A model letter is provided below in the Action Alert.

To find out more about the Zaria massacre of 2015, 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 ALERT: 

1. CLICK HERE to know the five things you can do to support the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. You can donate to support the medical expenses of those injured recently by clicking here. 

2. CLICK HERE to send an email to the African Union and demand their intervention in this case, a model letter and contact details of the African Union are also provided below. Please forward any response you receive to IHRC on wajahat@ihrc.org.

Model email / letter
If you are emailing, please use the following in the subject line:
Three Years of Unlawful Detention of Sheikh Zakzaky

Your name
Your address
Date

African Union Chairperson
President Paul Kagame
Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area), W21K19,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dear President Kagame,

Re: Three Years of Unlawful Detention of 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 the Islamic Movement of Nigeria Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah. They have been held in illegal detention for over 3 years.  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 three years now and Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife still remain in the custody of the state, in clear contempt of the court order.

The African Union’s silence on this issue is putting more innocent lives at risk. Recently Nigerian authorities have killed over 60 peaceful FreeZakzaky protesters, and arrested, tortured, and injured hundreds of them with live bullets in a barbaric attack on ArbaeenTrek 2018.

I am writing to ask for your urgent intervention to allow the illegally detained Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife to leave Nigeria for urgent medical treatment due to their critically deteriorating, life-threatening medical conditions. The Sheikh’s personal doctor confirmed in his most recent report that his only remaining eye is in danger due to chronic glaucoma and recommended him to be taken abroad for urgent treatment by a specialist, as this is not available in any Nigerian hospital.

It is imperative that you apply pressure on the Nigerian authorities so that they stop killing innocent people and adhere to the High Court judgement of December 2016, and release Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours sincerely,
[Name]

African Union Contact Details:
Email: au-banjul@africa-union.org; DIC@african-union.org
Postal Address: P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street, W21K19 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax:(251) 11 551 78 44

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES

Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on 24th Jan 2019
24 January 2019
Free Zakzaky Massive Protest in Abuja on Thursday the 24th of Jan 2019.

Who’s Denying Sheikh Zakzaky Freedom?
25 January 2019 – written by freezak

It is exactly 1140 days since when Buhari administration incarcerated our Leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky, for whom we have come out today demanding his unconditional release from illegal detention. We will not rest on our oars until and unless we achieve our aim, or we become martyrs in the path of Allah.
Also today, 791 days ago, a competent Abuja high court in its ruling ordered that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife should be released with a N50M compensation be given to them because the government has denied them their fundamental human right, but Buhari’s government contemptuously flouted that landmark court order. Click here to read the full article.

The Trial of Sheikh Zakzaky and His Wife
23 January 2019 – written by freezak

The lingering trial of Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, the Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and his wife has commenced today (Thuesday) 22nd day of January, 2019 at the High Court of Kaduna State.
The court had earlier in November 2018 denied bail to the Defendants despite their visible ill health. However, at the hearing today, the Counsel for the Defendants Mr Femi Falana SAN, after highlighting the bad health conditions of the Defendants made a fresh application for the court to make an order for them to be flown abroad for medical treatment. Click here to read the full article.

Free Zakzaky Peaceful Protest in Abuja on 22nd Jan
22 January 2019
Free Zakzaky Massive Protest in Abuja on Tuesday the 22nd of Jan 2019.

SHEIKH ZAKZAKY’S CASE: Court Further Adjourns The Illegal Trial To 25th March
22 January 2019

The Kaduna State High Court four, presided by Justice Gideon Kurada has today Tuesday 22nd January, 2019, sits for the hearing on the substantive suit brought against the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and three others by the Kaduna State government.
During the hearing, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his injured wife were presented at the court.
The lead Counsel of Sheikh Zakzaky, Femi Falana (SAN), told the court that Sheikh Zakzaky and his injured wife are in need of urgent medical attention of the injuries they sustained from the rain of bullets of the Nigerian Army in their residence. He said one eye of Sheikh Zakzaky was completely destroyed by bullets and the remaining one is also affected.
Chief Falana said, “The condition of the wife of Sheikh Zakzaky is even worst as there are multiple bullets that were lodged in her body during the brutal attack of December 14, 2015 which have not been extracted”.
In the long run, the Judge has pledged to deliver judgement on the application forwarded by the Counsel to Sheikh Zakzaky, to grant the Sheikh access to medical treatment abroad.
As acknowledged by the Counsel, “Government had failed to grant Sheikh Zakzaky proper medical attention he needed, following the pain and agony of the Army attack on 24th of December 2015”.
Eventually, the case was again adjourned to 25/03/2019. The trial as usual was held under tight security measures. Click here to read further details.

Massive Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on 21 Jan 2019
21 January 2019

Free Zakzaky Massive Protest in Abuja on Monday the 21st of Jan 2019 from NUC building to the  Ministry of Justice. It was terminated at Federal Secretariat.

Free Sheikh Zakzaky Protest In Kaduna ahead of Court Sitting
21 January 2019

As court in Kaduna is preparing for the hearing of Sheikh Zakzaky’s case on Tuesday 22/01/2019, in a baseless charge  compiled before it by the Kaduna State government, multitude of brothers and sisters stormed the city on Monday the 21/01/2019, reiterating their calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the leader, his wife and several other faithful disciples in different security detentions cells for over 3 years.
The protest kicked off this afternoon around 4:00p.m. from Lagos Street, by Kano Road, Kaduna.
The protest which was lead by Brothers’ representative in Kaduna, Sheikh Aliyu Turmidhi marched peacefully chanting different slogans for the freedom of their leader.

Sisters Forum Of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Call for the release of Marzieh
21 January 2019

Sisters Forum Of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky condemned the Illegal arrest and detention of Marzieh Hashemi, an American Journalist, also an anchor at Press TV who was whisked away by U.S Govt. through it’s FBI.
The sisters called upon the American Government to release the Journalist unconditionally on Monday the 21st of Jan 2019 during a protest they staged in Abuja.

Massive Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on 17 January
17 January 2019

A massive #FreeZakzaky protest was organised in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday 17 January 2019, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, his wife and several other faithful followers in illegal detention for over 3 years.

The protesters as usual, marched chanting different slogans reiterating their demand for the freedom of their leader who had been in illegal detention for over 3 years despite a federal court ruling since December 2nd, 2016, where the court had finally ruled that, the Sheikh should be released within 45 days after acquitting him of any crime.

Another Peaceful FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja on 16 January
16 January 2019

Free Zakzaky Peaceful Protest in Abuja on Wednesday the 16th of January 2019 calling for the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky

Peaceful FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja on 15 January
15 January 2019
A massive FreeZakzaky protest was organised in Nigerian capital city Abuja on Tuesday 15 January 2019.

Peaceful FreeZakzaky Protest in Kaduna City on Friday
11 January 2019

Multitude of brothers and sisters in the city of Kaduna have today Friday, 11/01/2018, staged fresh peaceful protest in the city heart of the state, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, his wife and several other faithful followers in illegal detention for over 3 years.
The protest kicked off this afternoon around 2:30p.m. in Leventis round about, along Ahmadu Bello way, Kaduna.
The protesters as usual, marched chanting different slogans reiterating their demand for the freedom of their leader who had been in illegal detention for over 3 years despite a federal court ruling since December 2nd, 2016, where the court had finally ruled that, the Sheikh should be released within 45 days after acquitting him of any crime.
The protest peacefully terminated along Kano road, a stone’s throw to 69 garage junction, T/Nupawa, Kaduna.

VIDEOS

Message From A Nigerian Christian
Uploaded on September 2018
I am a Christian, Why I am here at a FreeZakzaky Protest, listen to a message from a Nigerian Christian demanding freedom for the Leader of the Islamic Movement. 

Appeal to Help Recent Nigeria Massacre Victims
01 November 2018
The Nigerian authorities have attacked the Islamic Movement of Nigeria leaving dozens dead. They need your help now.

ARCHIVE

April 1998: Zeenah Ibrahim, wife of Mu’allim Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky and six of her children aged between 17 months and 11 years of age were charged with inciting hatred of Nigerian government and insulting President of the military junta, Click Here to read the details.

July 1998: IHRC called on Nigerian regime of General Abubakr Salamu to release Mu’allim Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky, the leader of Nigeria’s Islamic opposition, and all political prisoners from the Muslim Brothers,Click Here to read the details.

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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
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Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
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The opinions expressed in this email do not necessarily reflect the views of IHRC