The Foundation for Religious Freedom welcomes UN Working Group’s declaration on Yahaya Sharif-Aminu’s arbitrary detention
ABUJA — The Foundation for Religious Freedom warmly welcomes the landmark declaration by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which has formally categorised the ongoing deprivation of liberty of Sufi singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu as arbitrary.
This decisive recognition by the UN Working Group, issued on the World Day Against the Death Penalty 2026, reinforces what human rights advocates have long maintained: the state-sanctioned persecution of individuals under local blasphemy provisions constitutes a profound violation of fundamental human rights.
Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 by an Upper Sharia Court in Kano State after sharing an audio track via WhatsApp that was deemed blasphemous against the Prophet Muhammad. Despite international outcry—including resolutions from the European Parliament and legal proceedings before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice—Mr Sharif-Aminu has spent more than six years in detention for the simple expression of his faith.
“The UN’s classification of Yahaya’s detention as arbitrary strips away any remaining veneer of legal legitimacy from his imprisonment,” said Bill Flavell of the Foundation for Religious Freedom. “No individual should face the gallows or the inside of a prison cell for their artistic expression or religious beliefs. We call upon the Nigerian authorities to heed this clear directive from the international community, immediately commute his sentence, and secure his unconditional release.”
The Foundation for Religious Freedom stands in unwavering solidarity with Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and his legal team. We urge local, regional and international partners to maintain sustained pressure on the authorities so that Nigeria aligns its domestic legal frameworks with its binding international human rights commitments.
About the Foundation for Religious Freedom
The Foundation for Religious Freedom is dedicated to defending freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The Foundation works tirelessly to advocate for individuals penalised under restrictive religious statutes and to foster a society rooted in pluralism and universal human rights.