A Christian mother in Nigeria who was imprisoned for over 19 months before her acquittal for a blasphemy prosecution, has received a religious freedom award.
According to the Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, Rhoda Jatau was recently given the First Step Forum’s Shahbaz Bhatti Freedom Award for her dedication to religious liberty.
She was arrested in 2022 after allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp, in which she condemned the killing of Deborah Yakubu. Yakubu, was a Christian student who was murdered by a mob over accusations of blasphemy. She faced charges of “inciting public disturbance; exciting contempt of religious creed; and cyber stalking” under two Penal Code Law sections and a 2015 cybercrime act. Jatau spent a total of more than 19 months in prison on charges of “blasphemy” and was acquitted and released in December 2024. Her case which was the first blasphemy case in Bauchi State, drew international attention which according to her lawyer, Joseph Bata Danboyi, is what led to her being freed.
“We were grateful to discover that there was a lot of pressure from the international community, and that is what led to her being freed.”
First Step Forum is a global network that promotes religious liberty and human rights worldwide. It consists of ambassadors, members of parliament, journalists, advocates, and former prime ministers who collaborate to address issues related to religious freedom and human rights abuses. The forum aims to foster diplomatic engagement and dialogue to support religious leaders and promote peace and freedom, aligning with Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The award that Jatau received was named after former Pakistani member of Parliament Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was murdered for his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws in 2011.
Nazila Ghanea, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), attended the award ceremony . He was among those who advocated for her freedom by way of a joint allegation letter to the Nigerian government. The letter outlined the danger of blasphemy laws as a violation of international human rights.
Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF also commented on the victory, stating that Jatau’s case is an example of what happens when the world does not turn a blind eye to religious persecution.
“When the UN and the wider international community turn their attention to a single case, they can change the outcome for the person at its center. We will continue to stand with the persecuted at the UN and other international bodies, and to hold governments to the commitments they have made to protect freedom of religion or belief for everyone,” he stated.
