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IDHAE INFORMATION
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Chidi
Anselm Odinkalu is one of Africa's leading human rights lawyers. His work is
quoted regularly by scholars in the finest universities and research
institutes world-wide.Chidi Odinkalu, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu is Senior Legal
Officer for Africa Open Society Justice Initiative. He is also a Lecturer in
Laws, Harvard Law School On
1 and 2 August 2005 the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) repeatedly
visited the Abuja office of the Open Society Justice Initiative to question
human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu about his leadership of the
"Coalition Against Impunity." When they could not find Chidi
Odinkalu the SSS reportedly arrested three men associated with the printing
of "wanted" posters calling for Charles Taylor extradition and
confiscated 10,000 copies of the posters. The
"Coalition Against Impunity" is a civil society campaign that is
calling on the Nigerian Government to send former Liberian President Charles
Taylor to face trial before the Special Court in Sierra Leone. "In
a country that has made such important progress on human rights and democracy
in the last seven years, it is shocking that the security services can so
blatantly try to suppress peaceful and legitimate human rights
campaigning," said Nicholas Howen, Secretary-General of the ICJ. Two
of those detained at SSS headquarters in Abuja, Steve Omali and Michael
Damisa, worked in a local printing press and the third man arrested, Matthew
Damisa, is the brother of Michael Damisa. The SSS reportedly said that they
would release the three men if Chidi Odinkalu presented himself to the
security service instead. "Chidi
Odinkalu is a well-known lawyer and human rights advocate and is exercising
his rights to freedom of expression and association, guaranteed by the
Nigerian Constitution. It would appear that the three men in detention are
involved merely because of the printing of the posters and are in effect
being held 'hostage' until the security service can locate Chidi
Odinkalu" added Nicholas Howen. "The
SSS must immediately release the three men," said Nicholas Howen.
"I look to the Nigerian Government to publicly reaffirm that human
rights defenders are free to carry out their work and to instruct the SSS to
stop harassing human rights defenders," he concluded. ,
Cambridge, Massachusetts. Chidi is a lawyer and advocate from Nigeria. Amnesty
International and Open Society Justice Initiative today expressed grave
concern at the continuing harassment of a human rights defender and the
unlawful arrests and detentions of three others by Nigerian authorities. Please
write to the Nigerian authorities and ask them to: i.
guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of
Mr. Chidi Odinkalu, Mr. Steve Omali, Mr. Michael Damisa, Mr. Mathew Damisa,
and of all Nigerian human rights defenders; ii.
adopt immediate measures to put an end to all acts of harassment against Mr.
Chidi Odinkalu and all human rights defenders; iii.
conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in
particular its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right,
individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and
realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and
international levels”, and the above-mentioned articles 9.3(a) and 12(2); iv.
ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
in accordance with international human rights standards and international
instruments ratified by Nigeria. ADDRESSES: ·
Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo,President of Nigeria, The
Presidency, Federal Secretariat Phase 2, Shehu Shagari Way Abuja, Nigeria,
Fax : +234 9 234 1733
Please
also write to the embassies of Nigeria in your respective country. The
Observatory NGA 001 / 0805 / OBS 065
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