The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on September 25 hear the appeal of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim musician sentenced to death in 2020 by a Sharia court in Kano State over alleged blasphemy.
Sharif-Aminu, 25, was convicted after sharing song lyrics on WhatsApp that some residents deemed blasphemous. Following his arrest, a mob attacked and burned his family home.
His conviction and death sentence triggered widespread criticism from human rights groups, which argue that Nigeria’s blasphemy laws violate fundamental freedoms.
In 2021, the Kano State High Court overturned the conviction, citing the lack of legal representation during the original trial. However, the court ordered a retrial, keeping Sharif-Aminu at risk of execution. An appellate court upheld that decision in 2022, prompting his appeal to the Supreme Court.
International advocacy group ADF International is supporting his case, calling it an opportunity to challenge blasphemy laws in northern Nigeria. The group maintains that Sharif-Aminu’s conviction breaches both the Nigerian constitution and international human rights obligations.
The case has drawn global attention. The European Parliament has passed resolutions demanding Sharif-Aminu’s release, while the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared his imprisonment unlawful.
Nigeria remains one of seven countries where blasphemy is punishable by death. A Supreme Court ruling in his favour could set a legal precedent affecting religious freedom and the future of blasphemy laws in the country.
