Blasphemy: Kano Appeal Court To Rule On Death Sentence Of Musician By Sharia Court
The Kano State Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal of the death sentence on Yahaya Aminu-Sharif, a musician sentenced to death for a song deemed blasphemous against Prophet Mohammed.
The case was heard on Thursday (today) by the appellate court in the state.
The musician through his lawyer, Kunle Alapinni, prayed the court to declare the Kano State Penal Law 2000 (Shariah court) is unconstitutional, null and void, having grossly violated and conflicted with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended.
He also urged the appellate court to quash the judgment of the Sharia court.
The court presided over by Justice Nuraddeen Sagir, however, reserved judgment, adding that the date of the ruling will be communicated to both parties.
The court also reserved judgment in the case of 17-year-old Umar Farouq sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
The case was also handled by Alapinni, who sought the quashing of the Sharia court and its judgments.
The United Nations and rights groups have condemned the sentence of the Sharia court over its infringement on fundamental rights.
The UN held that international law protects the expression of opinion and beliefs, “including what is seen to offend religious sensibilities”, adding that applying the death penalty for alleged blasphemy also violates Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law.
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