GRAVE HEALTH CONCERNS FOR SINGER ON DEATH ROW [Nigeria Third UA 137.20]

Dear Attorney General,

I am writing in grave concern for the life of 25-year-old singer, Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu. On August 10, 2020, an Upper Sharia Court in Kano state convicted and sentenced to death Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu (who was then 21 years old) of “blasphemy” for circulating a song on WhatsApp that was considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad SAW.

In March 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu in detention and found him in poor health. Additionally, he was not provided with food and adequate clothing.

Blasphemy laws are a violation of the right to freedom of expression. Additionally, the use of the death penalty for “blasphemy” violates Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which restricts the use of this punishment to the “most serious crimes”, which the UN Human Rights Committee has clarified as referring to intentional killing.

I urge you to drop the charges against Yahaya Aminu Sheriff to ensure his immediate and unconditional release and work towards securing the timely setting of a date for appeal hearing. In the meantime, he must be held in detention conditions that conform to international standards (as per the Mandela Rules) and be granted immediate access to adequate health care, as well as adequate food and clothing.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]