Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian atheist who received a 24-year prison sentence for blasphemy-related charges in 2022, has had his sentence reduced to five years on appeal.
Bala’s lawyer, James Ibori, disclosed that an appellate court of three judges in Kano state ruled that the original sentence was “excessive” and “against the provisions of the law”.
It is still not known when Bala, who has been in prison for four years, will be released. He was held in prison without charge for over a year.
Bala, then the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was detained and convicted of charges related to blasphemy, receiving a lengthy sentence from a Kano High Court that sent shockwaves throughout the country.
Some Muslim groups had filed a petition, accusing Bala of posting uncomplimentary messages about Islam on social media.
Bala’s detention has raised concerns about freedom of speech in Nigeria, prompting widespread calls for his release.