The Pink Times
Aa
  • Home
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Europe
    • India
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Activism
  • Media
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Drag
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Drag
    • Fashion
    • History
    • Love
    • People
    • Photography
    • Religion
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Sports
  • People
Reading: LGBTQ+ Nigerians fear violence after sharia court death sentence
Share
Aa
The Pink Times
Search
  • Home
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Europe
    • India
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Activism
  • Media
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Drag
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Drag
    • Fashion
    • History
    • Love
    • People
    • Photography
    • Religion
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Sports
  • People
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
The Pink Times > World News > Africa > LGBTQ+ Nigerians fear violence after sharia court death sentence
AfricaLaw

LGBTQ+ Nigerians fear violence after sharia court death sentence

The Pink Times
The Pink Times July 18, 2022
Updated 2022/07/18 at 7:22 PM
Share

ILORIN, Nigeria, July 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A Nigerian sharia court’s decision to sentence three men to death by stoning for homosexual acts could trigger similar cases in the country’s states that apply Islamic law and unleash a wave of homophobic violence, LGBTQ+ rights groups said.

Contents
LEGAL FIRSTVIOLENCE FEARS

Male same-sex relationships are punishable by up to 14 years in prison under Nigerian national law, but 12 states in the mainly Muslim north also use parallel sharia courts to punish residents for crimes ranging from adultery to blasphemy.

- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Last month’s ruling in the northern state of Bauchi has raised fears of an increase in homophobia in Africa’s most populous nation, where many are already hostile towards LGBTQ+ people.

“This sentencing opens the door for more draconian judgments against LGBTQ persons. It’s a call for violence,” William Rashidi, director of LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Triangle, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“With this judgment, the times have been rolled back. (It) affects the very essence of freedom of expression and association. People have been given some sort of rights to attack, maim and violate LGBTQ+ persons.”

A culturally conservative country, some Nigerians believe that homosexuality is a sin, with many arguing that same-sex relations are antithetical to the country’s culture and beliefs.

The three men sentenced to death in Bauchi, one of whom was aged 70, were not represented by lawyers, which could be grounds for their conviction to be thrown out, rights advocates said.

The men have 30 days to appeal the judgment. Any death penalty passed by sharia courts also needs the approval of the state governor, whose office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But whatever the outcome, the case is likely to whip up hostility and possibly violence against LGBTQ+ people in a country where homosexuality is widely seen as unacceptable, campaigners said.

“It’s a very slippery slope,” said Marline Oluchi, a board member of global LGBTQ+ rights group ILGA’s African arm.

“These are dangerous terrains and safety for others is a huge consideration.”

LEGAL FIRST

The case is thought to be the first in which a Nigerian sharia court has imposed a death sentence for homosexuality, said Ayomide Adebayo-Oyetoro, a lawyer at Lilywood Legal, a law firm that focuses on tech and human rights issues.

In 2014, a gay man was lashed 20 times after being convicted for sodomy in Bauchi.

LGBTQ+ rights groups said they were working to support the men, who, according to local media, are aged 20, 30 and 70, and to rescind the death sentence.

The absence of lawyers to represent the men breaches their constitutional rights, added Adebayo-Oyetoro.

“I do believe if due process is followed, that is an appeal, the judgment will be overturned,” she said.

The case could also fuel debate about the authority of sharia law in Nigeria, which has a secular constitution.

Last month, a singer asked the Appeals Court to declare the sharia penal code in another northern state unconstitutional. A ruling is expected before October.

The Ministry of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.

VIOLENCE FEARS

The case has crushed morale and raised anxiety among LGBTQ+ Nigerians, who already face heavy repression including a ban on membership of rights groups.

“Safety is something we don’t feel as openly queer persons living in Nigeria,” Oluchi said.

“There is always one form of violence after another … reminding us that our rights are being violated daily.”

More than half of Nigerians said they would not accept a family member who is LGBTQ+ in 2019 poll, while rights campaigners say the anti-gay marriage law effectively sanctions both police and members of the public to carry out attacks.

Despite such hurdles, LGBTQ+ visibility has been slowly increasing, with public acceptance gradually on the rise as well.

Most organising takes place online due to safety concerns, though gay and transgender people gathered to hold LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in the commercial capital of Lagos last month.

While activists are working to raise an outcry over the sharia court’s death sentence, many are in fear for the future.

“It just seems like the fight that we are fighting isn’t going anywhere,” said Matthew Blaise, a 23-year-old gay man living in Lagos who said he had been suffering increased anxiety attacks in the wake of the case.

“These three people are being scapegoated, and they will go for more people. This will really drag the community back into darkness.”

TAGGED: Islam, Nigeria, sharia court

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts and more!
Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
The Pink Times July 18, 2022
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit VKontakte Telegram Email
Share

Latest Articles

Trans Student Crowned Homecoming Queen at Oak Park High School, Kansas City
Education United States
Congress Proposes Commission to Examine Legacy of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and Seek Reconciliation in the Military
Activism Politics United States
Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Criticizes Climate Change Joke During Hearing
Politics United States
Argentina’s Pioneering Trans-Inclusive School: Mocha Celis, a Beacon of Equality
Americas Education
Angelica Ross Reveals Transphobic Comments by Co-Star Emma Roberts during American Horror Story Filming
TV

Most Viewed Posts

  • Hot Photos from Paul’s Book “Larrikin Prince” Unleashed
  • A Shift in Perspective: The Art of Male Nude Photography
  • Vintage Nude Mormon Bodybuilders: Unveiling the Forbidden Past of Utah’s Physique Models
  • Hot and Sexy: A Visual Exploration of Masculine Bravado and Regal Splendor
  • The Ginger Sensation of RuPaul’s Drag Race: A Tribute to Bryce Eilenberg
  • About
  • Partner with Us: Reach Our LGBTQ Community
  • Subscribe to LGBTQ+ news and updates
The Pink Times
Follow US

All rights reserved

News. Culture. Tea.

Must-read stories we're talking about across our community. Sign up for The Pink Times newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?