PRINTER'S NO. 2309
No. 297 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, SCHWARTZ, TARTAGLIONE, KITCHEN, EARLL, M. WHITE, BOSCOLA, ORIE, C. WILLIAMS, MELLOW, BRIGHTBILL, FUMO, A. WILLIAMS, HELFRICK, GREENLEAF, BODACK, STACK, KUKOVICH, MUSTO AND LOGAN, OCTOBER 9, 2002
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 9, 2002
A RESOLUTION 1 Condemning the court-sanctioned practice by Nigerian courts of 2 stoning women for engaging in sexual intercourse outside 3 marriage. 4 WHEREAS, In March 2002, a Sharia court in the state of 5 Katsina in northern Nigeria sentenced 30-year-old Amina Lawal to 6 death for having engaged in sexual intercourse outside marriage; 7 and 8 WHEREAS, The government used Amina Lawal's pregnancy as 9 evidence of her having committed adultery; and 10 WHEREAS, On August 19, 2002, the judgment of the lower court 11 that sentenced Amina Lawal to death by stoning was upheld on 12 appeal; and 13 WHEREAS, Over the past year, some northern Nigerian states 14 have increasingly applied Sharia law to criminal cases, 15 principal among them sexual intercourse outside marriage by 16 women; and 17 WHEREAS, As a consequence, Nigerian Sharia courts have
1 ordered public flogging, long-term imprisonment and death by 2 stoning for cases involving sexual intercourse outside marriage; 3 and 4 WHEREAS, The Nigerian constitution guarantees the right to 5 life and to freedom from torture and cruel and inhuman and 6 degrading punishments and the right to fair trial; and 7 WHEREAS, Nigeria is also a state party to the Convention 8 Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment 9 or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and 10 Political Rights (ICCPR); and 11 WHEREAS, The ICCPR protects the right to life, and, in 12 countries which have not abolished the death penalty, assures 13 that sentences of death may be imposed only for the most serious 14 crimes; and 15 WHEREAS, International human rights law guarantees women the 16 right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on 17 matters relating to their sexual autonomy, without coercion, 18 discrimination and violence; therefore be it 19 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 20 condemn the court-sanctioned practice by Nigerian courts of 21 stoning women for engaging in sexual intercourse outside 22 marriage; and be it further 23 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 24 condemn the cruel and inhuman sentence imposed on Amina Lawal 25 and urge the Nigerian government to commute her death sentence; 26 and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 28 the presiding officers of each house of Congress, to His 29 Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria, His 30 Excellency Kanu Godwin Agabi, Minister of Justice, Nigeria, and 20020S0297R2309 - 2 -
1 Minister Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, Minister of Justice and 2 Attorney General, Nigeria. J9L82BIL/20020S0297R2309 - 3 -