Mubarak Bala
Detained Since: April 28, 2020.
Charges: Causing public disturbance under section 210 and 114 of the Kano State Penal Code. Section 210 prohibits any act that insults any religion or incites contempt for any religion and Section 114 prohibits any act done with intent to cause or which is likely to cause a breach of the peace.
Sentence: 5 years in prison.
- Original Sentence: 24 years in prison.
Biography: Mubarak Bala is a human rights activist and the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. Despite being a son of an Islamic scholar, he identifies himself as an atheist and a humanist. Due to his well-publicized belief as an atheist, Bala has been subjected to many threats.
Though the country's constitution bars the federal and state governments from adopting a state religion, Sharia (Islamic law) is recognized in several northern states, where most of Nigeria's Muslim population resides, including Kano, where Bala was raised. In that region, individuals can be subjected to severe or fatal attacks from the community as it is deemed a threat to the "honor" of the region. Despite the risk, Bala campaigned against blasphemy laws, educated others about human rights, and spoke out on the dangers of religious extremism. As he became one of the country's most prominent critics of religion, he began receiving death threats. In 2014, his family conspired to drug, beat, and forcibly commit him to a psychiatric ward, claiming that his atheism was a sign of a personality disorder.
Bala was released after a two-week stay, but the threats to his safety and accusations of apostasy continued. He relocated to the secular Kaduna State and became President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, advocating for freedom of belief and for atheists' rights. But in April 2020, Bala was arrested by plainclothes officers in Kaduna over Facebook comments that allegedly insulted the prophet Muhammad and was transferred back to Kano. The arrest followed a petition by a group of lawyers to the Kano State Police Commissioner to prosecute Bala for posting things on Facebook that are "provocative and annoying to Muslims" and a Change.org petition to close Bala's Facebook account.
Bala was held without charge for more than a year while facing other violations of his rights to a fair trial, including denying access to legal counsel until October 2020. In December 2020, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled Bala's arrest unconstitutional and ordered authorities to bail him, but the court ignored the order. Finally, in April 2022, Bala received a 24-year prison sentence from the Kano State High Court, which ignored his pleas for leniency.
His case painfully demonstrates not only how pervasive religious repression is in Nigeria, but how ineffective institutions like the Federal High Court are in upholding constitutional protections.
Bala currently suffers from multiple health issues, including heart problems and high blood pressure, due to the neglect of the prison authorities and lack of funds to cover the expenses. After three years, his wife received a grant and was able to cover costs for medical evaluations and medications. However, he needs to receive proper medical treatment outside of prison.
On January 8, 2021, Bala was awarded Humanist Society Scotland's Gordon Ross Humanist of the Year Award.
Mubarak Bala was RELEASED on January 7, 2025.
Advocacy Partner: Freedom House & Freedom Now
Advocate: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
Updates:
- On the third anniversary of Mubarak Bala's arrest, Freedom House, Freedom Now, and Humanists International jointly filed a petition for his release with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (April 28, 2023, Freedom House).
- Following the addition of Mubarak Bala to the Defending Freedoms Project with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) as his advocate, Rep. Raskin called on President Buhari of Nigeria to pardon Bala (May 16, 2023, Office of Congressman Jamie Raskin).
- On May 25, 2023 Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) submitted a letter to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari calling for the release of Mubarak Bala. The letter was signed by 11 Members of Congress, including 10 members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (May 25, 2023, Office of Congressman Jamie Raskin).
- On June 9, 2023 Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) submitted a letter to newly elected Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, urging him to pardon Bala. The letter was signed by 6 Members of Congress, including 5 members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (June 9, 2023, Office of Congressman Jamie Raskin).
- In observance of Nigeria's Democracy Day on June 12, 2023, Mubarak Bala published an open letter to President Tinubu to appeal for his release (June 12, 2023, Voice of Nigeria).
- In a speech delivered at a Nelson Mandela Day celebration held in Nigeria's Delta State, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka condemned the continued detention of Mubarak Bala and called for his release (July 20, 2023, the Guardian Nigeria).
- On August 3, 2023, the Premium Times, Nigeria published an article detailing the difficulties faced by atheists in Northern Nigeria and the ongoing struggles of Mubarak Bala's wife and infant child (August 3, 2023, Premium Times, Nigeria).
- In October 2023, Mubarak Bala's case was highlighted in the Nigeria segment of the Associated Press article series "the Nones" which explored the growing communities of atheists and agnoticts around the world (October 5, 2023, Associated Press).
- Ahead of Secretary Blinken's visit to Nigeria in January 2024, Amnesty International USA released a statement calling for him to push for the release of Mubarak Bala and others (January 19, 2024, Amnesty International USA).
- Mubarak Bala's case was raised during a Westminster Hall debate in the UK on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria (February 7, 2024, Humanists UK).
- Bala's case was highlighted in the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance's April 2024 "Statement on the Non-Religious" (April 18, 2024, U.S. Department of State).
- During a May 6, 2024 event to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the National Association of Seadogs called for Mubarak Bala's release (May 7, 2024, Daily Post).
- On May 13, 2024, it was reported that an appeals court in Kano State reduced Bala's sentence from 24 years in prison to 5 years in prison, with details on the ruling to be released by the court later that week (May 13, 2024, Sahara Reporters). The decision was welcomed by Humanists International and Humanists UK as a welcome first step, acknowledging that he still remains in prison (May 13, 2024, Humanists International; May 14, 2024, Humanists UK).
- Mubarak Bala was released from prison four months early on January 7, 2025. Upon release, concerns for his safety persisted and was placed in a safe house for protection (January 7, 2025, BBC). The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a statement welcoming his release and condemning the continued presence of blasphemy laws in Nigeria. Organizations such as Freedom House, Humanists International, and Humanists UK also released statements welcoming his release (January 8 2025, USCIRF; Freedom House; January 7, 2025, Humanists International; Humanists UK).