SERAP Petitions African Commission over Harassment of Sowore’s Sureties, Falana
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Mrs Soyata Maiga, and the commission’s members requesting them to intervene and put pressure on the Nigerian authorities and their agents to immediately end the intimidation and harassment of detained journalist and activist, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare.
In the letter, SERAP asked the commission to also pressure the government to end the harassment of the detainees’ sureties and lawyers, particularly Femi Falana (SAN) who are only defending their clients’ rights.
According to SERAP, “Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) has stated that it would not release the activists until it is allowed to vet sureties that have already been verified by the court, implicitly harassing the sureties apparently with the aim of pushing them to disown the detained activists. Similarly, a group of apparently sponsored ‘protesters’ calling themselves ‘Save Nigeria Movement’ asked Femi Falana to ‘stop intimidating security agencies.’”
In the petition dated November 22, 2019 and signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The harassment of detained activists for demanding strict compliance with court orders, and then their sureties as well as lawyers who come to their defence, shows a steady slide away from the rule of law and underscores the urgent need for the commission to insist on the restoration of respect for human rights in Nigeria.”
SERAP also said: “The harassment is emblematic of a broader pattern of official threats to and harassment of Nigerian civil society. We are concerned that rather than releasing Sowore and Bakare as ordered by the court, the Nigerian authorities are now implicitly intimidating the activists, sureties, and lawyers, particularly Femi Falana.”
The letter copied to Mr. Diego
GARCÍA-SAYÁN, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, read in part: “Apparently sponsored attacks, harassment, and intimidation of sureties and lawyers for doing their independent duties undermine and erode the integrity of the legal profession, access to justice, Nigerians’ confidence in the courts, and make a mockery of the entire justice system.
“The harassment is emblematic of a broader pattern of official threats to and harassment of Nigerian civil society. SERAP is seriously concerned that rather than releasing Sowore and Bakare as ordered by the court, the Nigerian authorities are now implicitly intimidating the activists, sureties, and lawyers.