Petition to Abolish Stoning Punishment for Ms. Amina Lawal - 2003-08-23

Petition to Abolish Stoning Punishment for Ms. Amina Lawal - 2003-08-23. Voice of America has always addressed issues related to women's rights, which are at the forefront of U.S. government policies. The Persian section is no exception, and if you visit the website of the Persian section of Voice of America, you will find various writings and reports over the past year since its inception, especially the issue of stoning of 'Amina Lawal,' a young Nigerian woman accused of giving birth to a child out of wedlock. Last year, Amnesty International announced that this punishment is contrary to Nigeria's constitution, Nigeria's legal obligations under international human rights laws, and the rights of the African people. The act of stoning as a method of execution is undoubtedly inhumane and one of the most brutal forms of torture, violating the 'Covenant on Civil and Political Rights' and the 'Convention Against Torture.' This time, Amnesty International has addressed this important issue in its Spanish section and intends to submit a petition with sufficient signatures to the Nigerian government to abolish the stoning punishment for Ms. 'Amina Lawal.' On August 19 of last year, the Sharia Court of Appeals in Nigeria issued the stoning sentence for 'Amina Lawal.' This issue faced severe criticism from the international community. The ruling from the Sharia Court of Appeals stated that to carry out the stoning sentence, she must first be buried up to her neck in the ground and then stoned to death. A court session to review the stoning of this young Nigerian woman is scheduled for the 27th of this month. In the petition posted on Amnesty International's website for collecting signatures worldwide, the organization states that all forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishments such as flogging and amputation violate international human rights laws that have been signed by the Nigerian government.