Nigeria atheist Mubarak Bala: Freed from prison but still fears for his life

Mubarak Bala was jailed for blasphemy in a case that attracted criticism from rights groups.

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Mubarak Bala, 40, was convicted in a court in the northern city of Kano after, in a surprise move, he pleaded guilty to 18 charges relating to a controversial Facebook post shared in 2020.

"The concern about my safety is always there," he told the BBC in an exclusive interview as he tucked into his first meal as a free man.

Nigeria is a deeply religious society and those who may be seen as having insulted a religion - whether Islam or Christianity – face being shunned and discriminated against.

Blasphemy is an offence under Islamic law – Sharia - which operates alongside secular law in 12 states in the north. It is also an offence under Nigeria's criminal law.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62zpk4nnxdo

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