Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Nigeria

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sufi

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Accepted: Death Overturned

Sentence: Originally Death

Date of Detainment: March//2020

Date of Sentencing: August/10/2020

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Religious Expression Singing, Playing, & Producing Religious Songs & Music

Nature of Charges: Blasphemy

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Extra Bio Info:

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu is imprisoned for his religious expression. 

In March 2020, authorities arrested Sharif-Aminu, a musician and follower of the Sufi Tijaniyyah Order, for allegedly praising an imam from the Tijaniya Muslim brotherhood "to the extent it elevated him above the Prophet Muhammad." Soon after the recording, Sharif-Aminu was arrested and charged with blasphemy under Sec. 382(b) of the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law 2000, and a mob burned down his family's home. 

On August 10, 2020, the Hausawa Filin Hockey Upper-Sharia Court convicted and sentenced Sharif-Aminu to death. He did not have legal counsel during the trial.

In January 2021, a High Court overturned Sharif-Aminu’s conviction, but ordered him to a retrial. The retrial order was upheld on appeal in August 2022.

In November 2022, Sharif-Aminu filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held a preliminary hearing allowing the appeal to proceed in September 2025.

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