URGENT ACTION

DETAINED PROTESTERS DENIED MEDICAL CARE

At least 15 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) including two children are suffering from gunshot wounds and need urgent medical attention. The IMN members were injured when police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse a peaceful protest they were participating in. They have been denied access to medical care and to their lawyers or family members since their arrest on 22 July. 

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Mohammed Adamu
The Inspector General of Police
Force Headquarters
Loius Edet House
Shehu Shagari Way
Area 11 Garki
Abuja, Nigeria 
Email: pressforabuja@police.gov.ng

Dear Sir,

I write to express my concern for the injured Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) protesters, currently in police custody and in need of urgent medical attention.

On 22 July, Nigeria Police arrested at least 18 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) during a peaceful protest in Abuja to demand for the release of their leader Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky. The protest turned violent when the Nigeria Police fired teargas and live ammunition to disperse the protesters. Some of the IMN members were arrested during the protest, while others were arrested at the University of Abuja Teaching hospital where they were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during the protest.

According to credible information received by Amnesty International, two of the injured protestors are reported to have died in custody between 22 and 23 July due to lack of medical treatment, while a third person died on 24 July. Prior to their death, they pleaded with the police to take them to the hospital, but the police ignored their pleas and instead mocked them for their religious beliefs and engaging in the protest.

The remaining 15 IMN members are currently in critical condition with various gunshot wounds to their legs, stomach, hips and some are unable to walk. Among those detained are two girls who are being held in the same cell. The IMN members have been denied access to urgent medical care as well as their lawyers and family members.

I urge you to ensure that the injured IMN protesters in custody are released immediately and granted immediate access to adequate medical care and to their families and lawyer. Also ensure they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment while in detention. 

Yours sincerely,
Additional information

The IMN is a Shi’a religious and political organization whose leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqub El-Zakzaky, has been a proponent of Shi’a Islam in Nigeria since the 1980s. Between 12 and 14 December 2015, according to Amnesty International’s research, more than 350 IMN members were killed by security forces in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Since the Zaria massacre of 2015, the Nigerian security forces have consistently used excessive force to clampdown on unarmed IMN protestors. On 31 October 2018, an investigation by Amnesty International showed that the horrific use of excessive force by soldiers and police led to the killing of at least 45 supporters of IMN demonstrations over two days, as the Shi’a Muslim group held a peaceful religious procession around Abuja. They were demanding for the release of Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky, whose detention was described by a federal court in December 2016 as unlawful and unconstitutional.
In recent days, members of IMN have been holding daily peaceful protests in Abuja, the Federal capital calling for the release of Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky who remains in detention and in need of medical attention.
The Nigerian authorities has not held anyone accountable for the extrajudicial execution of the unarmed IMN protestors which emboldens security officials to act more with impunity.

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: [English]
You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: [30 09 2019] 
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: [Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN)] (They/their)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: [N/A]

Additional Targets

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE ADESOLA OGUNTADE High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Nigeria House 9 Northumberland Avenue WC2N 5BX 020 7839 1244 Fax 020 7839 8746 chancery@nigeriahc.org / information@nigeriahc.org.uk 

Please check with your section before sending appeals after the above date.