Norge har i dag sluttet seg til følgende EU-erklæring om dødsdommen over Amina Lawal i Nigeria:

Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union
on the death sentence by stoning of Ms Amina Lawal

The Funtua Upper Sharia Court in Katsina State dismissed the appeal on 19 August lodged by Amina Lawal against her conviction in March 2002 for adultery and sentence of stoning to death. The panel of judges ruled that the original trial had been conducted properly and the verdict had been a correct one under Sharia law and the penal code. They further ruled that, in line with earlier decision by the lower court, Lawal would not be executed until she had weaned the child born out of wedlock – a period set to end in January 2004.

The European Union is deeply concerned about the decision of the court of appeal. The European Union expects that Ms Lawal will have all opportunities for appeal at federal level. The European Union will follow the further proceedings of the case closely. The European Union considers that abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.