The European Parliament has reiterated its call for the immediate release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a young Sufi musician imprisoned for blasphemy in Nigeria, while urging the repeal of the blasphemy laws that support his detention.
Sharif-Aminu is facing the death penalty for allegedly circulating song lyrics deemed blasphemous under Kano state's blasphemy laws.
Members of the European Parliament have sought his “immediate and unconditional release” in a second urgency resolution that passed overwhelmingly, according to the legal advocacy group ADF International.
The lawmakers had previously issued their first resolution in April 2023, urging Nigerian officials to withdraw the charges against the musician. They have now passed another measure affirming that “no individuals, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, should be potentially subjected to the death penalty for allegations of blasphemy.”
The resolution also references Sharif-Aminu’s upcoming Supreme Court challenge, which aims to abolish Sharia-based laws that could lead to capital punishment for perceived offensive religious expression. The lawmakers remarked that blasphemy laws “systematically endanger religious minorities, violate fundamental freedoms, and fuel sectarian violence.”
Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International, stated, “We applaud the European Parliament’s condemnation of the egregious blasphemy laws that plague religious minorities in Nigeria, as tragically exemplified by what has happened to Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.”
He further expressed, “This case has unprecedented potential to eliminate Northern Nigeria’s oppressive blasphemy laws, and we will continue to seek justice for Yahaya and others who are unjustly persecuted for their faith expression. No person should be sentenced to death for peaceful religious expression, and we are thankful to Members of the European Parliament who are speaking out on Yahaya’s behalf.”
Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that emphasizes the inward search for God and rejects materialism, represents a minority faith in Nigeria and often faces persecution in Muslim-majority countries and regions. ADF International noted that this case could lead to a reversal of the oppressive blasphemy laws in Northern Nigeria.
Kola Alapinni, an international human rights lawyer representing Sharif-Aminu, commented, “It is plainly unjust that this young man languishes in prison merely for song lyrics.” Meanwhile, the U.K. Parliament has designated Sharif-Aminu as a prisoner of conscience for the month. The resolution cited the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which previously criticized the ongoing imprisonment of the musician for over five years.
Sharif-Aminu was convicted without legal representation and sentenced to death on August 10, 2020, by the Hausawa Filin Hockey upper-Sharia court. Although his initial death sentence was overturned upon appeal, he was subsequently sent back for a retrial under the same statute, which still permits capital punishment.
