Court Reduces 24-Year Blasphemy Sentence for Nigerian Atheist

Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian atheist who has been imprisoned for four years on blasphemy charges, has received a reduced sentence on appeal. Bala, who was president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was handed a 24-year prison sentence in 2022 by a high court in Kano after he was found guilty of blasphemy-related charges. He had been arrested and charged to court following the petition of a group of Muslims who accused him of posting unflattering messages about Islam on social media. Fortunately, his appeal was favorably received by a panel of three judges who deemed his sentence excessive and reduced it to five years.

SOURCE: BBC