Thank you for posting that - hopefully lot's of people will take the opportunity to fill in the form. What a horribly shocking case ... we think we're so civilised ....
Amina Lawal is still due to be murdered
Many of you will be aware of this Nigerian woman who is due to be juducially murdered in a savage fashion shortly, for the 'crime' of adultery and becoming pregnant.
Here's the latest on this brutal case :-
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Amina Lawal, please help prevent execution for adultery
The Nigerian supreme court has upheld the death
sentence for Amina Lawal, who was condemned for the crime of adultery.
She is to be buried up to her neck and stoned to death. Her death has been postponed for one month so that she can continue to nurse her baby!!!
Amina's case is being handled by the Spanish branch of Amnesty International, which is attempting to put together enough signatures to make the Nigerian government rescind the death sentence. (A similar campaign saved another Nigerian woman, Safiya, condemned in similar circumstances.)
The petition has so far (as of April 7th) amassed over 4,100,000 signatures.
It will only take you a few seconds to sign Amnesty's
online petition.
Here's the petition link, just follow the instructions,it's not as dificult as it sounds:-
Amina Lawal, please help prevent execution for adultery and stop her baby being orphaned.
Go to the web page -
Link removed
enter your first name in the space marked 'nombre', last name ('apellidos'), county/state ('provincia'), and country
from the drop down box - choose Reino Unido (UK), Estados Unidos (USA), or whichever is appropriate. Then click on 'Seguir' and go to the second page.
There you have the option of entering your email address if you wish to receive follow-up information. In any case, be sure to click on 'aceptar' to have your name added to the petition list.
Please sign the petition now, then cut n paste this post and forward this message to everyone in your address book.
(Edited by Byron 19/05/2003 01:05)
12 Replies and 1195 Views in Total.
Me signed!
You'd be surprised as to what the 'most advanced race on the planet' can be capable of when it suits us...
by zepherine
What a horribly shocking case ... we think we're so civilised ....
Good on you for posting the link. I've already signed it over at Urban75, and it needs as wide an exposure as it can get: what's going to be done in the name of "justice" in Nigeria is abhorent, irrespectve of whatever religous or cultral justification those responsible come up with. I don't think there's any other word besides "murderers" to describle them.
Nigera's government promised this wouldn't happen: some promise. It's about time they started protecting their citizens from the brutal form of Shira law imposed in some Northern states: everyone has fundamental rights that must be safeguarded from exactly this kind of warped zealotry.
It's tragic and depressing this hasn't got more attention in our press, or caused more action from the government. I just hope the petition does some good, and that Nigera's president finally sees some sense and discovers some humaity before he allows this horific crime to be carried out in his country's name.
Nigera's government promised this wouldn't happen: some promise. It's about time they started protecting their citizens from the brutal form of Shira law imposed in some Northern states: everyone has fundamental rights that must be safeguarded from exactly this kind of warped zealotry.
It's tragic and depressing this hasn't got more attention in our press, or caused more action from the government. I just hope the petition does some good, and that Nigera's president finally sees some sense and discovers some humaity before he allows this horific crime to be carried out in his country's name.
Done. This has also been posted on AOL's Politics board, and if it doesn't appear on the the Teen news forum soon, I'll do it myself...
Just recieved this back from someone at work...
(Edited by Sydney 06/05/2003 15:17)
It might be worth sending an email to Amnesty UK and seeing if they can verify the sites validity
"Her death has been postponed for one month so that she can continue to nurse her baby! "
This is not true - it is appears to be a particularly cruel hoax. The trial of Amina is actually postponed until June 3rd. The relevant link to Amnesty International is here:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/action/aminalawal.shtml
I imagine that this is why the website pointed at is in Spanish. Amina's case is terribly important and I encourage you to follow her case and support her any way you can. Please pass this on to to others who may believe that Amina has already lost her appeal. If you are unsure, then give
em a call!
Thank you
(Edited by Sydney 06/05/2003 15:17)
From today's Guardian:
www.guardian.co.uk/law/story/0,3605,949980,00.html
"There's only one problem: the whole thing is based on an untruth. Lawal has not been sentenced to be executed on June 3, nor on any other date. She is still waiting for her appeal to come up before a local appeals court - the June 3 date is for that - and has other avenues of appeal thereafter.
Moreover, as the human rights organisation actually dealing with her case points out, every previous appeal against death by stoning for women in circumstances similar to Lawal's has succeeded. No such execution by stoning has actually been carried out in Nigeria."
www.guardian.co.uk/law/story/0,3605,949980,00.html
"There's only one problem: the whole thing is based on an untruth. Lawal has not been sentenced to be executed on June 3, nor on any other date. She is still waiting for her appeal to come up before a local appeals court - the June 3 date is for that - and has other avenues of appeal thereafter.
Moreover, as the human rights organisation actually dealing with her case points out, every previous appeal against death by stoning for women in circumstances similar to Lawal's has succeeded. No such execution by stoning has actually been carried out in Nigeria."
Beat me to it; it's extremely surprising that Amnesty International have managed to mess up their facts so badly. As the Guardian article says, it's hardly surprising people have taken what Amnesty said on trust.
by Demona
From today's Guardian:
www.guardian.co.uk/law/story/0,3605,949980,00.html
"There's only one problem: the whole thing is based on an untruth. Lawal has not been sentenced to be executed on June 3, nor on any other date. She is still waiting for her appeal to come up before a local appeals court - the June 3 date is for that - and has other avenues of appeal thereafter.
Moreover, as the human rights organisation actually dealing with her case points out, every previous appeal against death by stoning for women in circumstances similar to Lawal's has succeeded. No such execution by stoning has actually been carried out in Nigeria."
A full version of what the organisation, BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, said can be found [Warning: link contains some strong swearwords]here.
It'll be a real tragedy if this has in any way hindered Amina Lawal's chances of survival.
This featured on Channel 4 News last week. Basically, Amnesty International, Spanish branch or otherwise, have absolutely nothing to do with this petition. The best guess they were able to give is that an over-eager member took things into their own hands.
They've asked people not to sign the petition, as it could do more harm than good.
So I've removed the links to it and think it's best if this thread now closes.
They've asked people not to sign the petition, as it could do more harm than good.
So I've removed the links to it and think it's best if this thread now closes.