Our protests would not stop until El-Zakzaky is freed – Shiites

A Nigerian Shiite group on Sunday condemned a court order that
allows the government to ban it on “terrorism” grounds after a
spate of deadly protests in the capital.

At least six protesters, a trainee journalist and a senior
police officer were killed on Monday when violence flared during a
march by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria to demand the release of
its leader Ibrahim Zakzaky.

Recall that a federal high had granted an order permitting the
government to label the IMN’s activities “terrorism and
illegality”.

The authorities need to publish the order in the state gazette
and two newspapers for it to come into force.

Court and justice ministry sources confirmed the authenticity of
the order. The government did not comment officially.

At a news conference in Abuja on Sunday, senior IMN official
Yahiya Dahiru condemned the move as a “dangerous development”.

“You can never stop an ideology, you can never stop an idea, you
can never stop our religion,” he said, insisting protests would not
stop until Zakzaky was freed.

Zakzaky was detained after violence during a religious
procession in December 2015. Rights groups say some 350 mostly
unarmed Shiite marchers were killed by the Nigerian army.

In recent months there have been repeated clashes during almost
daily marches by the IMN in the capital as concerns rise over
Zakzaky’s health.

In October, the IMN and human rights groups said more than 40
people were killed when the security forces opened fire.

The Nigerian police this week vowed to crackdown on “violent
protests” by the group, with a heavy security presence visible
across the capital city.

Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah Ibrahim have been in custody despite
the federal high court ordering his release in 2016.

The government refused and filed fresh criminal charges,
including culpable homicide that is punishable by death.

The IMN, which emerged as a student movement in the late 1970s,
was inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran, and has close ties
in the Shiite Islamic country.

AFP.

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