Memorandum to the Minister of Public Order regarding the deportation of female prisoners from Nigeria.

Dear Minister,

Dear Mr. General Secretary,

On February 3rd, I visited the detention center for foreign female prisoners in Amygdaleza, accompanied by a team of lawyers and doctors, who conducted preventive examinations on the detainees, mainly for breast cancer. The forty-seven migrants and their four children held in this facility are awaiting their deportation, as they were arrested in our country without legal documents.

Among the detainees, there are two Nigerian women who, if deported and returned to their home country, face the risk of being sentenced to death.

1. Doris Iseghei (Of Ogozi and Lida, born in 1975) is at risk because, according to her statement, she is a Christian. Although she converted to Islam to avoid problems, she failed to convince her fellow countrymen and the authorities of her country, as she refused to cover her face. As a result, her life is at risk if she returns, and she is already mourning the death of her husband, who was murdered by Muslims. On February 7, she was released, but her deportation order still stands, and the time remaining for her stay in the country is short. She has applied for political asylum.

2. Regina Argibowe (Of Aduku and Ocupepe, born in 1968) is also, according to her statement, a Christian who converted to Islam. Unable to withstand the suffocating pressure of society, she left her family and came to Greece at the invitation of her half-sister. For two years, she had a residence permit in the country and worked at the Nigerian Embassy. When her permit expired, the embassy did not renew it, and she was subsequently deemed subject to deportation. She claims that her sister forced her into prostitution. When she resisted, her sister reported her to the police. Now, it is certain that when she returns to her country, she is at serious risk of being charged with adultery, abandonment of her home, and prostitution, and may be sentenced to death by stoning.

As you know, the revision of the Penal Code in Nigeria, in implementation of Sharia, has resulted in an increase in the number of offenses punishable by the death penalty. It is, in fact, indicative that, while in the past, cases that could lead to a death sentence were exclusively heard before the Supreme Court, today this limitation no longer applies. The new Islamic Penal Code and the application of the death penalty violate both the Constitution of Nigeria and the international Conventions for the Protection of Human Rights that the country itself has signed. Very recently, the international community witnessed the brutality of this new regime, due to the death sentence handed down to women, such as Amina Lawal, on the charge of having borne a child out of wedlock. In recent years, life in Nigeria has become extremely difficult for women, whose freedoms have been drastically reduced. In the event that they have the courage to resist the inhumane Islamic law, they face the death penalty.

For the aforementioned reasons, I believe it would be advisable to reconsider the cases of the two specific detainees. Our country has a tradition of respecting human rights. The deportation of citizens facing the death penalty in their own country would constitute a violation of international conventions for the protection of life and human dignity, for the rights of women, and of the European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover, during the recent discussions on the formation of a Common European Migration and Asylum Policy, the issue of granting asylum to women who face persecution in the name of barbaric customs and cultural traditions that violate human rights has been raised by many parties, particularly the European Parliament.

In recent years, there has been a tangible compliance of national legal systems in Western countries with international conventions that regulate the humanitarian treatment of refugees and migrants. The most recent and very characteristic example is the United Kingdom, where, as of December 18, 2002, it will be easier for migrant women who are victims of violent husbands to remain indefinitely. This particular legislation even overrides the prerequisite of living together for one year. In this way, the importance placed by countries with a long tradition of welcoming migrants on the protection of women who fall victim to violence is highlighted.

In light of these facts, I ask you to take into account our country’s aforementioned treaty obligations and international practice, and to prevent the deportation of these women, as it would amount to their death sentence.

With deep respect,

Anna Karamanou