Welcome to a new weekly podcast series called “USCIRF Spotlight” hosted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body. During each episode, Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir features a special guest to dive deeper on various topics and breaking developments that impact the universal right to freedom of religion or belief around the globe.
All content for USCIRF Spotlight Podcast is the property of USCIRF and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Welcome to a new weekly podcast series called “USCIRF Spotlight” hosted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body. During each episode, Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir features a special guest to dive deeper on various topics and breaking developments that impact the universal right to freedom of religion or belief around the globe.
Blasphemy and FoRB in Nigeria: A Conversation with Mubarak Bala
USCIRF Spotlight Podcast
30 minutes 58 seconds
3 months ago
Blasphemy and FoRB in Nigeria: A Conversation with Mubarak Bala
The Nigerian federal government enforces blasphemy laws that include a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for acts “persons consider as a public insult on their religion.” Twelve Nigerian state governments also enforce their own more stringent blasphemy laws to prosecute and imprison individuals perceived to have insulted religion, including Christians, Muslims, and humanists. There are now four Nigerians incarcerated and convicted of blasphemy, including two religious leaders. In 2021, police arrested humanist Mubarak Bala for “insulting the Prophet,” and in 2022, a court sentenced him to decades in prison. Following an international outcry, an appeals court reduced his sentence to five years and released him in 2024. Mr. Bala, formerly the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, is living abroad while his sentence in under appeal. In its 2025 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi speaks with humanist Mubarak Bala to discuss his experience of prosecution and imprisonment under Nigeria’s blasphemy laws and how these laws impact religious freedom and belief in the country. Read USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report Chapter on Nigeria and USCIRF’s most recent Nigeria Country Update.With Contributions from:Veronica McCarthy, Public Affairs Specialist, USCIRF
USCIRF Spotlight Podcast
Welcome to a new weekly podcast series called “USCIRF Spotlight” hosted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body. During each episode, Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir features a special guest to dive deeper on various topics and breaking developments that impact the universal right to freedom of religion or belief around the globe.
