ForeverInLoveWithJus

A Nigerian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery has won her appeal against the punishment.

An Islamic court in Nigeria overruled an earlier judgement against Amina Lawal, convicted of adultery in March last year following the birth of her daughter out of wedlock.

A huge international campaign was launched after Ms Lawal, a 32-year-old divorcee, was handed down the original sentence.

Freeing her, the five-judge panel ruled she had not been given "ample opportunity to defend herself".

Islamic appeals court judge Ibrahim Maiangwa said: "It is the view of this court that the judgement of the Upper Sharia Court, Funtua, was very wrong and the appeal of Amina Lawal is hereby discharged and acquitted."

The original judges had ordered Ms Lawal be buried up to her neck and stones thrown at her head. Execution was postponed while she weaned her daughter, Wasila.

She was convicted under the religious Sharia law which prevails in 12 states in northern Nigera.

Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo had pleaded for Ms Lawal to be spared and Brazil had offered her asylum.

In their hour long ruling, the appeal judges said Ms Lawal had not been caught in the act of adultery and was not given enough time to understand the charges against her.

The alleged father of the girl denied being involved in the affair with Ms Lawal and was acquitted.

Francois Cantier, from Lawyers Without Borders which had been advising her defence, said: "We think that death by stoning is contrary to international treaties against torture which Nigeria has ratified."

As Ms Lawal was being spared her fate, 20-year-old Nigerian man Jibrin Babaji was sentenced to death by stoning for sodomy by a Sharia court after confessing to molesting three boys.