WASHINGTON—After Nigerian authorities released political prisoner Mubarak Bala, Brian Tronic, director of Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners at Freedom House, issued the following statement:
“We are thrilled that Mubarak Bala has been freed from his unjust imprisonment in Nigeria after spending four years behind bars simply for expressing his religious views on Facebook. We offer our thanks and thoughts to Bala’s family, friends, and loved ones who provided him with critical support and strength during his long imprisonment.
“While we celebrate Bala’s release, we strongly condemn his unjust imprisonment by Nigerian authorities. As the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined, he was charged under ‘vague and overly broad’ legal provisions, detained incommunicado for over five months, denied access to the courts for nearly two years, held despite a release order by the High Court of Abuja, and imprisoned for exercising his rights under international law. Freedom of speech and religion are universal human rights; denying them is part of a comprehensive system of repressive tactics illiberal leaders in Nigeria and around the world use to silence anyone they perceive as a threat. We are fearful that Bala may also face targeted attacks outside of prison.
“Many people remain unjustly imprisoned around the world and it is clear that more can and should be done to secure their freedom. Democratic governments can help secure the release of political prisoners by continuing to focus on the unique needs and circumstances of each case and to provide financial resources to prisoners, their families, and their legal counsel. Where effective, targeted, coordinated sanctions should be imposed on authorities using political imprisonment.
“We are thankful to our partners around the world who relentlessly advocated for Bala’s release, including Humanists International, Freedom Now, and Dechert LLP. The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners will continue to put the spotlight on antidemocratic leaders who are imprisoning and silencing those they disagree with, as we continue our efforts to secure the freedom of political prisoners around the world.”
