The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) welcomes the decision by the Sharia Court of Appeal in Nigeria to overturn the death sentence of Amina Lawal and free her of all charges. Ms Lawal had been accused of adultery and sentenced to execution by stoning by the Sharia Court of Bakori in Katsina State (in northern Nigeria).

The IPU condemned the practice of stoning to death in a previous case, that of Ms Safiya Husseini, and mobilized its membership to oppose it. It has done the same for Ms Lawal's sentence. The world organisation of parliaments has consistently argued against the death penalty and affirmed its conviction that women and men must be equally treated before the law as required under international human rights law.

While the IPU welcomes the fact that Ms Lawal has been freed, it reiterates the need to put an end to the practice of death by stoning, and the death penalty in general, and condemns any cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment of women or men.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral organisation, currently has 145 affiliated national parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The organisation of the world's parliaments also has an office as Permanent Observer with the United Nations in New York.
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Contact for additional information or interviews:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Tel. +4122 919 41 16/27 Fax: +4122 919 41 60, 919 41 97 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org