NIGERIA: Cruel Verdict

March 2002 - 9’10

1:02

Setting off for the Islamic north of Nigeria. Lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim is travelling with her two children to see her client Safiya Husseini. We soon come across the first veiled women. A very strict form of Islam is beginning to take hold in northern Nigeria.

1:24

For many people here Osama bin Laden is regarded as a hero.

Nearly all the northern provinces have introduced the Sharia.

1:35

W: What did you think when you first heard about the stoning?

1.39

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Hauwa Ibrahim Lawyer

Zeit: 0.39.0-44

¶quote HAUWA: I thought: this is crazy. It can’t be possible in this century. Not in Nigeria. That was my first reaction.

1.45

Switzerland is paying part of Safiya Husseini’s legal fees, and the imminent stoning of Safiya Husseini is an issue for the Swiss ambassador in Nigeria. But politically the embassy can do very little.

1.58

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Rudolf Knoblauch

Swiss ambassador Nigeria

Zeit: 1.00-1.05

¶quote Knoblauch'

We thought about this, and we were not the only ones, the countries of the European Union, that we call like minded countries, we got together, and we thought that, under the present circumstances it would in fact be counter-productive to deliver a note to the Nigerian Government, for the very simple reason the Government is actually against the application of this penalty that was pronounced against Safiya Tudu.

2.19

Early the next morning in the village Tundar Tudu. Lawyer Ibrahim greets Safiya Husseini. She has been sentenced to death and is now under house arrest. In her arms is her daughter, Adama.

2.31

Her daughter is claimed to be illegitimate. That is why Safiya Husseini has been convicted. The presumed father has not been charged.

2.50

Mohammed Husseini, Safyia’s brother, initially doesn’t want us to film.

2.58

But photographs of the lawyers first visit make him change his mind.

3.08

Safiya Husseini and her brother discuss the pending appeal. Safiya doesn’t want to tell us what happened because she is afraid of jeopardizing her trial. She only tells us what she did when her brother noticed that she was pregnant.

3.25

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Safiya Husseini

Zeit: 2.26-2.31

¶Quote SAFIYA

I ran away and hid in another village. But the police looked everywhere for me. Finally my brother showed them where I was. They arrested me immediately.

3.53

Mohammed Husseini handed over his own sister to the police. He thinks it is legitimate that adultresses should be stoned.

4.01

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Mohammed Husseini

Safiyas brother

Zeit: 3.06-3.11

Quote Mohammed

If the conditions of the Sharia are fulfilled, that means if four witnesses were present during the act, then it is right that adulteresses be sentenced to death by stoning.

4.22

These four witnesses don’t exist. However Safiya Husseini was still convicted.

4.27

quote SAFIYA

It is not true. I didn’t do anything wrong. They can’t stone me.

4.33

The lawyer hopes that her client will be acquited. She argues that Safiya Husseini became pregnant before the introduction of the Sharia and that the proceedings lack evidence.

4.45

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Hauwa Ibrahim lawyer

Zeit: 3.48-3.52

¶quote HAUWA

The conviction is on her confessional statement and she never made a confession, it’s also on record. She didn’t make a confession, there was no confession but they say ‚we will convict on her confession’, the man was freed based onm the fact there was no confession and no evidence to prove, but she was convicted on her own confession.

5.08

In the provinicial capital, Sokoto, we find the judge who convicted Safiya. He doesn’t want to talk about the case.

5.22

He shows us the court room. This is where the trial against Safiya Husseini took place last June.

5.32

Eventually he is ready to talk to us. He explains how a stoning has to take place.

5.41

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Mohammed Bello

Scharia-judge

Zeit: 4.47-4.52

¶quote Mohammed Bello Scharia judge

A hole has to be dug. The convicted is then buried up to the waist. Then people are called for the stoning. The stones shouldn’t be larger than gravel stones. People throw stones until the person is dead.

6.00

The Koran does not mention stoning as a form of punishment.

6.04

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Mohammed Bello

Scharia-judge

Zeit:

¶quote MOHAMMED BELLO:

There are many things, crimes and punishments, that are not explicitly mentioned in the Koran. But the fact that Mohammed practised this form of punishment is binding and that lead to its introduction.t

6.25

SOKOTO: Capital of the province in northern Nigeria. 200 years ago Arabs brought their goods here by camel. Sokoto became Islamic. Today three years after the end of the military dictatorship the province has become more autonomous. The local government has begun introducing a very strict Islamic legal system. The information officer justifies stoning as a death penalty.

6.48

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Tahir Mai-Akwai

Information officer Sokoto

Zeit: 5.50-5.55

¶quote TAHIR MAI AKWAI

We see it also as cruel, lethal injection, to put someone to death slowly, and so on, it can be tortuous. So that’s that. The emphasis is to show people that this thing has happened, so people shun from doing acts…’

7.15

Half of Nigeria’s 120 million inhabitants are Moslem. 40 per cent are Christian. After the end of the military dictactorship many Nigerians wanted more order and less corruption. But the introduction of the Sharia is harming the country’s cohesion.

7.32

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Tahir Mai-Akwai

Information officer Sokoto

Zeit: 6.34-6.39

¶quoteTAHIR MAI AKWAI.

That’s why people are yearning for the Sharia. They want rectitude, they want good government. Good government is part of sharia. But good government means the leadership is transparent, it is not corrupt, it does not embezzle people’s money, it does what people want.

People yearn for the Sharia. They want a good government. That is where the Sharia can help. Politicians act more transparently, they are not corrupt und don’t embezzle the people’s money.

7.53

The information officer proudly shows us the Koran school. Despite the strict Islamic system girls are taught different subjects.

8.14

The teacher is happy with the stricter form of Islam.

8.19

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Emina Musa-Shaka

Teacher

Zeit: 7.25-7.30

¶quote Emina Musa Shaka Teacher Koranschool Sokoto

The introduction of the Sharia is very much a welcome introduction to us. To the woman it is the only system that guarantees her freedom. It gives her all the freedom, all the chance, all the liberty to do whatever she wants to do, but according th the will of her ccreator, that is Aallah.

8.40

So according to Allah’s Will Safiya Husseini is going to be stoned. Hauwa Ibrahim is worried about her client.

8.50

Question JOURNALIST: Will they really stone Safiya or is this just a threat?

8.57

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Hauwa Ibrahim

Lawyer

Zeit: 7.59-8.04

¶quote HAUWA IBRAHIM:

It could really happen. Because they have already chopped people’s hands off and flogged a girl who was supposed to have committed fornication. Yes they could stone her.

9.09

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Rudolf Knoblauch

Swiss ambassador Nigeria

Zeit: 8.12-8.17

¶quote KNOBLAUCH

'I think the Samfara Government, President Obusanjo himself, has very clearly indicated he will not tolerate this kind of thing. And on the other hand it may become very difficult for the governor of Samfara state to execute Safiya, be it only because of the protests worldwide. I think he will think twice before doing this.

9.37

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Mohammed Bello

Scharia-judge

Zeit: 8.39-8.44

¶quote BELLO:

The case is still pending. But if she is definitely convicted I will personally take part in the stoning. That is for sure.

9.49

End of report RT: 8.54

Jingle at RT: 8.54-7.59

Last image: RT: 9.10

First Image: POV shot from car

Last Image: Close-Up Woman with child

Last words: "appeal begins next Monday"

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RUberi15

Autor: Christina Karrer

Collaboration: Christoph Nufer

Camera: Emanuel Leus

Edit: Jakob Nägeli