|
Ahmed Al Khair was born to a Muslim family in Mali. As a young man he could not accept that God exists and, writing under the alias Haiballah Okbaoui, he started a Facebook Page he called Atheism. In recent years, Mali has become a stronghold of Islamic terrorist outfits such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda and radicalization has grown. Ahmed's Page came to the attention of zealot clerics and he soon began to receive death threats. The threats were credible enough for him to flee the country to seek safety.
Ahmed fled to neighbouring Niger but, in May 2021, he was arrested on his way to the office of the High commissioner of refugees. He is being held in a prison in Niamey, the capital city of Niger. Prison conditions are appalling--some describe them as among the worst in the world.
Ahmed was charged with terrorist-related offences and appeared in court on February 21 this year. No evidence of any illegal activities was produced and the witnesses who reported him were not not cross-examined. The case was adjourned "until further notice" and Ahmed remains in Niamey prison.
|
