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The girls were found guilty by a
local vigilance group in Twon-Brass in Nigeria’s Bayelsa state in the Niger
Delta.
There are concerns that the young
girls had no legal representation at the local disciplinary hearing where
they were found guilty and sentenced.
A letter of protest has been
delivered to the Nigerian High Commissioner in London, Dr Christopher Kolade,
by Peter Tatchell of the LGBT human rights group OutRage!
“I urge you to call on officials to
intervene to halt the planned caning of six teenage girls, aged 12 to 17, on
charges of lesbianism,” Tatchell wrote.
“The punishment of 90 strokes
amounts to inhumane treatment, and is contrary to the UN Convention Against
Torture 1984.
“It is particularly appalling that
girls of such a young age have been sentenced to such a severe and cruel
punishment. Ninety strokes of the cane will cause severe skin wounds,
bruising and scarring.
“I respectfully ask the Nigerian
government to ensure the protection of human rights in all the states and
towns in its jurisdiction,” wrote Tatchell.
According to the South African
Press Association and Deutsche Press-Agentur, as reported on News24.com on
14 October 2005, and carried on UK Gay News: “A local disciplinary committee
on Thursday (13 October) in the Niger Delta ordered the caning of six
teenage girls for unspecified same-sex behaviour that was described as an
‘abominable act’.
“A local vigilance group in Twon-Brass
in Nigeria’s Bayelsa state arraigned the girls before a special local action
committee, and they were pronounced guilty on Thursday. The girls, between
12 and 17-years-old, were sentenced to 90 strokes of the cane each for their
shameful and abominable act,” the report said.
Outrage! is calling on the LGBT
community to protest to the Nigerian authorities.
Protests can be made to the
following High Commissions or Embassies:
UK: Dr Christopher Kolade,
Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Nigerian High Commission, 9
Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BX. The email address is
political@nigeriahc.org.uk
USA: Professor George A. Obiozor,
Ambassador, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 3519 International
Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Tel: (202) 986-8400; Fax: (202) 775-1385.
email:
gobiozor@nigeriaembassyusa.org
Full list of Embassies and their
addresses can be found
at
http://www.nigerianembassy.org/
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