Gender: Male

Current Location: Germany

Perpetrator: Nigeria

Religion or Belief: Humanist

Health Concerns: High blood pressure, pain on his left side

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Appeal: Reduced to 5 Years’ Imprisonment, Released

Sentence: Originally 24 Years’ Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: April/28/2020

Date of Sentencing: April/5/2022

Date of Release: January/7/2025

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: Yes

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Doctrine) Expression about Religion Non-Belief Online Activity

Nature of Charges: Blasphemy

Mubarak Bala

Extra Bio Info:

Mubarak Bala was imprisoned for exercising his freedom of belief.

On April 28, 2020, Kaduna State police arrested Bala, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, from his home in Kaduna State because of a Facebook post he made allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Bala was denied access to legal counsel for more than five months after his arrest and was held without charge for over a year.

On August 3, 2021, Bala was charged with 10 counts of causing a public disturbance in relation to Facebook posts he made over the course of April 2020. 

On April 5, 2022, the Kano State High Court sentenced Bala to 24 years in prison after convicting him of 18 counts under Sections 210 and 114 of the Kano State Penal Code, respectively.

On or around May 13, 2024, the Kano State Court of Appeal ruled Bala’s punishment was “excessive” and reduced his prison sentence to five years.

Bala had reportedly been denied adequate medical care while in prison. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) advocated for Bala as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.

In January 2025, it was announced Bala was released by Nigerian authorities. In April 2025, he left Nigeria for Germany to undertake a six-month residency hosted by Humanistische Vereinigung.

Publicly Available Information:

Jun 22, 2020

USCIRF Denounces Recent ISWAP Attacks in Northeast Nigeria

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today denounced the recent attacks by Boko Haram faction Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) against innocent civilians in northern Nigeria.

“Recent ISWAP attacks on innocent civilians are reprehensible,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava. “Hundreds have died in recent weeks as ISWAP continues to inflict terror and target civilians based on their beliefs. We condemn this deplorable violence.”

Earlier this month, suspected ISWAP fighters killed 81 people when they attacked Foduma Kolomaiya village in northeast Nigeria. ISWAP then claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed 20 soldiers and more than 40 civilians in Borno State on June 13.

“The Nigerian government needs to be doing more to protect the freedom of religion, particularly in the northeast region. Over two years after ISWAP abducted Leah Sharibu, it is unacceptable to see the group continue to inflict such devastation on the Nigerian people,” stated USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins, who advocates for Leah Sharibu as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoner of Conscience Project.

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, and that Boko Haram be designated an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

USCIRF has also expressed concern regarding the state enforcement of Shari’a laws in northern Nigeria in last year’s report on Shari’ah Criminal Law in Northern Nigeria.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: China

Ethnic Group: Han

Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 6 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: October/8/2018

Date of Sentencing: December/19/2019

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Cult

Niu Xiaohong

Extra Bio Info:

Niu Xiaohong is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On October 8, 2018, officers from the Xiangcheng County Public Security Bureau detained Niu reportedly in relation to her religious belief and attending of religious meetings.

On December 19, 2019, the Weidu District People’s Court of Xuchang city sentenced Niu to six years in prison and fined her 8,000 yuan for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).

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