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“Self-Defence is No Offence”: Nigerian Student on Trial in Ukraine

Categories: Eastern & Central Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Ukraine, Citizen Media, Digital Activism, Ethnicity & Race, Governance, Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Protest
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“Let's support Olaolu Femi” (screenshot of a Facebook community).

On Nov. 5, 2011, Olaolu Femi, a Nigerian student in Ukraine, was attacked by a group of young people in the city of Luhansk; he was detained the next day, and his alleged attempt to defend himself and a friend was interpreted by the Ukrainian prosecutors as attempted murder, for which he is now facing a minimum of 10-15 years and up to life in jail. He has spent the past year in a pre-trial detention center. “Self-defence is no offence” is the slogan of the campaign in his support [2] [en].

More on the campaign: Free Olaolu [1] on Facebook [ru, en]; information on the case at Justice for Olaolu Femi [3] blog [en, uk]; an online petition [4] demanding Femi's release and a fair trial for him (1,118 signatures so far).