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Nigerian Woman Avoids Stoning Death
Some good news, for once.
A single mother facing death by stoning for adultery had her sentence overturned by an Islamic appeals court Thursday in a case that has sparked international outrage... Lawal was first convicted in March 2002 following the birth of her daughter two years after she divorced her husband. Judges rejected Lawal’s first appeal in August 2002. In an hour-long hearing, the panel said Lawal was not caught in the act of adultery and wasn’t given enough time to understand the charges against her. It also cited procedural errors, including that only one judge was present at her initial conviction in March 2002, instead of the three required under Islamic law. Prosecutors argued Lawal’s child was living proof she committed a crime under Shariah.
They do kinda have a point there...
But lead defense lawyer Aliyu Musa Yawuri said that under some interpretations of Shariah, babies can remain in gestation in a mother’s womb for five years, opening the possibility her ex-husband could have fathered the child.
WTF?? Well, hey, who cares if it helped the decision get overturned.
I think there used to be a similar statute in England. Sea-farin' men used to be prone to "late-term" babies, I believe...
He also argued Lawal’s case should be dropped because no lawyers were present when she first testified that she had slept with another man following her divorce. Yawuri said Lawal a poor, uneducated (but horny) woman from a rural family didn’t understand the charges against her at the time. Lawal has identified her alleged sexual partner, Yahaya Mohammed, and said he promised to marry her. Mohammed, who would also have faced a stoning sentence, has denied any impropriety and has been acquitted for lack of evidence.
The muslim guy gets off with no problem. Imagine that.
Meanwhile:
Four other people have been sentenced to stoning deaths. Two have been acquitted, and two others a pair of lovers are awaiting rulings.

If this sort of thing wasn't so sad, Nigeria would be a laughingstock... Oh. Wait. It's just as sad as ever, and Nigeria's still a laughingstock.

Posted by: growler 2003-09-25
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19081