HRW questions Nigeria’s mass terrorism trials
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised concerns about Nigeria’s mass trials of people accused of terrorism, saying many were convicted with little evidence and may have been pressured into pleading guilty.
Nigeria has been fighting Boko Haram and other armed groups since 2009. Both the militants and security forces have faced accusations of human rights abuses.
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In a new report released on Wednesday, HRW said the mass trials mostly involve low-level suspects and raise serious concerns about fair trials.
The group monitored court sessions in Abuja in April and June, where more than 1,100 defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in separate rounds of hearings.
According to HRW, many convictions were based only on guilty pleas, with little or no supporting evidence.
The report also said some charges were unclear and did not include important details such as when or how the alleged crimes happened.
HRW said that in cases where defendants pleaded not guilty, prosecutors often failed to provide enough evidence and sometimes withdrew the charges.
The group also criticised defence lawyers, saying many did not call witnesses or present evidence in court.
It warned that some people may have pleaded guilty because they faced many charges and felt pressured to accept lesser offences.
In one case, a man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to raising goats for Boko Haram. His lawyer argued that he was forced to work for the group after militants took over his village.
Responding to the report, Nigeria’s Director of Public Prosecutions said the government is trying to fight terrorism while also protecting the constitutional rights of everyone.
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