Nigerian spared death by stoning
A northern Nigerian woman sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly
committing adultery has won her appeal against the verdict.
Five judges rejected her conviction, saying she was not given "ample
opportunity to defend herself".

Thirty-one-year-old Amina Lawal was convicted last year in Katsina state.

She had been found guilty under the Sharia (Islamic criminal code) which
has been introduced into 12 northern states over the last three years.


Ms Lawal, a village woman, was convicted of adultery in March last year
soon after giving birth to her daughter, Wasila.


This was the second time she had appealed against her sentence of death by
stoning, with the help of two Nigeria women's rights groups which took up
her case.

Other Sharia punishments include amputation for theft and flogging for
fornication.

Three people have had a hand cut off for minor offences.

But no sentence of stoning has yet been carried out.

The introduction of Sharia punishment has been hugely controversial,
provoking international concern abroad and sparking religious violence
within Nigeria.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/3137890.stm

Published: 2003/09/25 10:43:04 GMT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~