Calling for the Immediate Release of Nigerian Journalist Luka Binniyat

Honorable Secretary Antony Blinken
Office of the U.S. Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C

Nov. 15, 2021

Dear Secretary Blinken:

Save the Persecuted Christians, a large coalition of human rights advocates, calls upon you during your visit to Nigeria this week to express grave concern to the Nigerian government about the egregious violations of speech and press currently taking place in Nigeria, as well as that government's abject failure to provide protection and justice to Christian communities repeatedly targeted in murderous attacks by aggressive Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

The arrest and unjustified detainment for 'cyber stalking' of Mr. Luka Binniyat, a contract journalist for a U.S.-based news organization and an internationally respected voice for persecuted believers, is only the latest example of journalists being imprisoned on ludicrous and trumped-up charges.

What Kaduna State prosecutors are labeling 'cyber stalking' was the internet posting of Mr. Binniyat’s careful and accurate report of Oct. 29 for The Epoch Times. His report described the massacre of 38 unarmed Christians on Sept. 26, 2021 and the fact that after a month has passed Nigerian security agencies have not made any arrests or undertaken any prosecution of perpetrators.

Binniyat joins the growing ranks of journalists unjustly detained for reporting on rampant religious-based violence in Nigeria and calling out the inept officials who refuse to acknowledge victims of these atrocities and to prosecute those responsible. International pressure to release Binniyat should be swift and severe.

Mr. Secretary, the lesson of 9/11 has been that our nation cannot afford to be blindsided by a terrorist threat overseas, and fair and accurate reporting by local Nigerian journalists serve Americans as an early distant warning system.

The abuse of Binniyat's universal human right to freedom of expression and opinion will only serve to further mute the voice of independent journalists conducting vital reporting on rampant religious-based violence in Nigeria. The detainment of Binniyat who was at the time writing for an American audience is a blatant effort by Nigerian officials to curtail the agency of free press in the United States and hinder the sharing of information critically needed by the West to ascertain and appropriately address the full extent of persecution in Nigeria, America's most important partner in Africa.

French philosopher and war correspondent Bernard-Henri Levy while visiting the United States recently has warned that a genocide is underway, yet the United States has time to interdict and must act while there is time.

It is our considered judgement that the frequent, large-scale massacres of unarmed Christians in Nigeria—such as the Sept. 26th massacre of a Christian religious community in Kaduna––in a vacuum of law enforcement and with alleged complicity of government authorities is sanctionable under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Therefore, we urge you to implore Nigerian authorities rescind charges and free Luka Binniyat immediately and ask that you consider the implementation of sanctions for Nigeria’s failure to adequately address religious-based violence witnessed in multiple states across the country.

Respectfully,

Dede Laugesen
Executive Director
Save the Persecuted Christians

 

CC: U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard, USCIRF Commissioners, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Kahn

Along with the following:

ORGANIZATIONS (17)
Women's Rights Without Frontiers
Precious Jewel Ministries
YoreChildren
Mission Africa International
Christian Activist Network of New England
John Pofi Foundation Inc
Family Research Council
Granite America
Leah Foundation
Revealing Light Ministries
NSIC Institute
Jubilee Campaign
Frontier Partners International
Set My People Free
The Jesus Alliance
Saint Nicholas Freedom Group
Iraqi Christian Relief Council

LEADERS (22)
Ann Schockett, Board Member, Save the Persecuted Christians, Virginia, US
Baroness Caroline Cox, House of Lords, UK Parliament
London,UK
Reggie Littlejohn, President, Women's Rights Without Frontiers, Maryland,US
Elizabeth Yore, esq., Attorney and Founder, YoreChildren, Illinois, US
Reverend Juliet Binitie, Precious Jewel Ministries, Lagos, NG
Gloria Puldu, President, Leah Foundation, Plateau, NG
Oluwasayo Ajiboye, President, Mission Africa International, Texas, US
William Brown, Organizer, Christian Activist Network of New England, Connecticut, US
Devon Cross, President, Logos Forum, New York, US
John Pofi, CEO, John Pofi Foundation Inc, Plateau, NG
Douglas Burton, editor, Rural Watch
William Rogers, Associate Pastor, Pentecostal Church of God, California, US
Lela Gilbert, Sr. Fellow for Int’l Religious Freedom, Family Research Council, Washington DC, US
Miltiades Bolaris, CEO, Granite America, Illinois, US
George Parker, Executive Director, Revealing Light Ministries, Maryland, US
Peggy Dau, Representative, Iran Alive Ministries, Oklahoma, US
Kevin Freeman, Founder, NSIC Institute, Texas, US
Ann Buwalda, Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign, Virginia, US
Michael L Parks, CEO, Frontier Partners International, Colorado, US
Bryan Hickox, Chairman of the Board, The Jesus Alliance, Florida, US
Father John Anderson, Saint Nicholas Freedom Group, Virginia, US
Juliana Taimoorazy, President, Iraqi Christian Relief Council, Illinois, US

GRASSROOTS (49)
Uzay Bulut, Turkey, TR
Ardy Kassakhian, California, US
Maureen Cruz, Illinois, US
Patricia Reynertson, Illinois, US
AG McMurtrey, California, US
Phoebus Sparos, Cyprus, CY
Peggy Propst, Colorado, US
Catharine Trauernicht, Virginia, US
Marte Hudson, North Carolina, US
Hasan Vohra, Texas, US
Annette Rossi, Washington DC, US
Michael Onisick, Maryland, US
Osinachi Obi-Njoku, Ontario, CA
Jone Legal, Ontario, CA
Kelli Oerman, Nebraska, US
Valerie Edmonds, Pennsylvania, US
Julia Huang, New Jersey, US
Brian Reilly, Ohio, US
Rev. Jonathan Atchley, Tennessee, US
Cindy Maderia, North Carolina, US
Barbara Scaminaci, New York, US
Cheryl Natale, Colorado, US
Matthew McCormack, Massachusetts, US
Kevin Reeves, Georgia, US
Paul Dembinsky, Pennsylvania, US
Luci Mazzetta, Illinois, US
Rob St. John, Montana, US
Debi Scaggs, Texas, US
Suzanne Ward, Michigan, US
Gene Smith, Arizona, US
Andrea Castillo, South Carolina, US
Marquita Story, Missouri, US
Nancy Pearson, New Jersey, US
Cheryl Resnick, Connecticut, US
Eric Dahl, Florida, US
Richard Nakano, California, US
Jean Young, Florida, US
Lisa Kelly, New York, US
Janet LaVallier, Illinois, US
Sabrina Budlk, California, US
William Harris, Hawaii, US
Thu Nguyen, Georgia, US
Marcel Benegas, Ontario, CA
Melinda Swain, North Carolina, US
Tori Todorovac, Pennsylvania, US
Helen Patterson, Ohio, US
Mary Ellis, Arizona, US
Julie Lowe, Massachusetts, US
Lynn Olson, Nebraska, US

 

Save the Persecuted Christians is a U.S. 501 (c)(3) non-profit charity.
Save the Persecuted Christians promotes a grassroots movement to save lives and save souls—The SaveUs Movement. As a large coalition of human rights advocates, faith leaders and expert researchers, we educate the public and its leaders on anti-Christian discrimination, persecution and violence. We enlist grassroots help in: supporting those harmed for their faith in Jesus; holding those responsible accountable; and securing significant penalties on state and non-state persecutors of Christians. As people of goodwill, we advocate for others who experience persecution for their faith or belief.

SaveThePersecutedChristians.org