Nigerian
artists will on Thursday, 14 January stage a solidarity event for Palestinian
poet, Ashraf Fayadh, who has been condemned to death by the Saudi authorities
for allegedly renouncing Islam.
The solidarity events lined up include reading,
performances and conversations. The event is scheduled to begin at at the
Freedom Park (Old Colonial Prison Ground).
Ashraf,
35, has been active in the art scene in Saudi Arabia and has organized and
curated exhibitions of Saudi art in Europe and Saudi Arabia.
A key
member of the British-Saudi art organisation, Edge of Arabia, he was originally
sentenced to four years in prison and 800 lashes by the general court in Abha,
a city in the south-west of the ultraconservative kingdom, in May 2014.
But after
his appeal was dismissed he was retried recently, and a new panel of judges
ruled that his repentance did not prevent his execution.
Special
guests at the solidarity event include Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, Kunle
Ajibade and Ogaga Ifowodo.
The event
is part of the January 14 worldwide reading for Ashraf.
No comments:
Post a Comment