This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On August 6, 2019, the High Court in Kaduna State, northwestern Nigeria, made a significant ruling in the case of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), who has been in detention since December 2015.
The court granted Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, leave to seek medical attention in India, with the case against them to continue upon their return. Justice Darius Khobo ordered that the couple be accompanied abroad by officials of the Kaduna State government.
Prosecutor Dari Bayero stated that the prosecution team would study the judgment to determine if there are grounds for appeal.
Zakzaky and his wife are facing charges related to culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disturbance of public peace, stemming from the 2015 clash between their supporters and the military in Zaria, Kaduna state, which resulted in the deaths of over 300 people.
Similar clashes in 2014 and 2015 led to the deaths of over 70 people, including Zakzaky's three sons.
The IMN has been banned in Nigeria due to its reputation for violence, but the group has challenged the ban in court.
