Feb 18, 2008Quickie Link: Sharia Trial Pending in Nigeria
By vanrozenheim
(Nigeria) - The trial of eighteen young men in Nigeria charged with dressing in female clothing and attending a Gay wedding may be part of a campaign to reintroduce legislation targeting Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people. Cary Alan Johnson of the Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was in Nigeria last week to meet the men and their lawyers. He has expressed serious doubts as to whether the men can get a fair trial. All aged between 18 and 21, they were detained by the Islamic "vice squad" at a hotel in Bauchi city, Nigeria in August 2007. Sharia law is enforced in the state and if found guilty of 'sodomy' the men could be executed.
