SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR APPEALS TO NIGERIA CONCERNING ARREST OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Press Release
HR/CN/701
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR APPEALS TO NIGERIA CONCERNING ARREST OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
19960208 GENEVA, 8 February (UN Information Service) -- On 7 February, the Special Rapporteur appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to examine questions related to the independence of judges and lawyers, Dato' Param Cumaraswamy, transmitted an urgent appeal to the Government of Nigeria concerning the arrest of Gani Fawehimni on 30 January and the detention for several hours of Olisa Agbakoba by Nigerian Security officials.Mr. Fawehimni is a human rights lawyer who is currently challenging the constitutionality of the special tribunal established under the civil disobedience law, which is due to try 19 Ogoni leaders on charges of murder. He is also involved in challenging the constitutionality of the trials and executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists. He was reportedly arrested at his home in Lagos by the State Security Service and is being held incommunicado at the headquarters of the security service in Shangisha, near Lagos. No charges have been brought against him.
Following the arrest of Mr. Fawehimni, Mr. Agbakoba, a human rights lawyer who represented Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight other Ogoni activists who were executed in November 1995, was reportedly detained and interrogated by police following his return from a trip abroad.
In his appeal, the Special Rapporteur expresses his deep concern over the alleged violations, which the source of the allegations claims to be a form of harassment and persecution of the two lawyers for carrying out their professional duties and exercising their universally recognized right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The Special Rapporteur also reiterates his request to undertake a joint mission to Nigeria with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Bacre Ndiaye, within the course of the next month. The mission would allow the Special Rapporteurs to discuss with the relevant authorities issues related to their respective mandates and would enable them to report their findings to the upcoming session of the Commission on Human Rights.
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