International Committee Against
Stoning
15 January 2004
Two people, one in Nigeria
and one in Iran,
are sentenced to death by stoning
Iran: According to a report in an Iranian press on 8 January 2004, a woman and her husband, names are not disclosed, have been sentenced to death in connection with running a brothel in the city of Qazvin. Both are to be flogged and one of them is to be stoned to death.
Nigeria: On 6 January 2004, Umaru Tori a 45 years Nigerian man was sentenced to death for extra-marital relationship with his step-daughter last week. The sentence was handed down by a Shari'ah Islamic court in northern Nigeria. His step-daughter, 15, was sentenced to 100 strokes of cane, which will be carried out after she has given birth to her child. Both of them have been given a 30-day period until January 29 to appeal against their sentences.
Last year in the light of an international mass protest against the stoning law, we were successful in forcing the Islamic regime of Iran to suspend, albeit temporarily, the laws and practices of stoning. In Nigeria, our efforts and the international campaign to save Amina Lawal finally paid off and her stoning sentence was overturned.
Stoning is the most brutal way of administering capital punishment; it is a way of killing a human being by a gradual torture. The fact is, in countries ruled by Islamic laws, men and women are insulted, degraded, flagged and stoned to death for practising their basic rights and freedom. This is an insult to all the achievements and gains of generation after generation of people who have fought for the attainment of human liberties and freedom throughout the history. No matter where we are, stoning a woman or a man to death is an insult to humanity. This has to be stopped. We must continue with our fight to eradicate the cruel law of stoning and all other Shari'ah laws. Such inhumane practices belong to the dustbin of history.
We call upon all freedom loving oragnaisations and individuals to join our campaign to stop the stoning of these two people in Nigeria and Iran and to abolish stoning law.
Recommended actions:
·
Write to the Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami demanding:
- Immediate abolition of stoning and all other forms of punishment for
extra-marital
Relations and all other Shari'ah laws;
- Immediate release of all those imprisoned for extra-marital relations;
Email: khatami@president.ir Fax: 0098 21 649 5880
·
Write to the Nigerian President Ousegun Obasanjo:
- Immediate
abolishment of stoning law and all other Shari'ah
laws
- Immediate
annulment of Umaru Tori’s stoning sentence and
flogging sentence of
his 15 years old
step-daughter
Address: The Presidency
Federal Secretariat, Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja,
Nigeria
Tel: +234-9-2341010
Fax: +234-9-2341733
Email: presidency@nopa.net
To the President of Nigeria
I/We have been informed that on 6
January 2004, Umaru Tori, a
45 years Nigerian man, was sentenced to death for extra-marital relationship
and his 15 years old step-daughter was sentenced to 100 strokes of the cane.
I/We express my/our
strong protest against these medieval treatments and demand:
- Immediate
abolishment of stoning law and all other Shari'ah
laws
- Immediate
annulment of Umaru Tori’s stoning sentence and
flogging sentence of
his 15 years old
step-daughter
Name
Signature
ICAS: stopstoning@yahoo.com
To Mohammad Khatami, the President of Islamic Republic of Iran
I/We express my/our strong protest against the
medieval punishment of stoning and demand:
-
Immediate abolishment of stoning law and all other forms of punishment for
extra-
marital relations and abolishment
of all Shari'ah laws;
- Immediate annulment of all
stoning sentences and immediate release of
those imprisoned for extra-marital relations;
Name
Signature
ICAS: stopstoning@yahoo.com