General Assembly
Security Council

Distr. GENERAL  

17 November 1995

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY  SECURITY COUNCIL
Fiftieth session  Fiftieth year
Agenda item 112 (b)
HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS:  HUMAN RIGHTS
  QUESTIONS, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE
  APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING THE
  EFFECTIVE ENJOYMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
  AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS


                 Letter dated 17 November 1995 from the Permanent
                 Representative of the United States of America
                 to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General


  I have the honour to transmit  to you the text of a statement issued on 10
November 1995 by the White House, on behalf of  President Clinton, regarding
the executions on  10 November 1995 of  nine environmental and human  rights
activists in  Nigeria (see annex).   The trial, sentencing  and execution of
these  activists without  benefit of  due  process  of law  demonstrates the
rapidly deteriorating  human rights  situation in  Nigeria.   If this  trend
continues, the tension and instability within  Nigeria could have an  effect
on the peace and security of the entire region.

  I should  be grateful  if the  text of  the present  letter and its  annex
could  be circulated  as a  document of  the General  Assembly, under agenda
item 112 (b), and of the Security Council.


(Signed)  Madeleine K. ALBRIGHT










95-36166 (E)   171195/...

*9536166*
ANNEX

Statement by the Press Secretary on 10 November 1995


  The United States strongly  condemns the execution  today of environmental
and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and  eight others accused of  murder
in May 1994.  These executions demonstrate to  the world the Abacha regime's
flaunting   of  even  the  most  basic  international  norms  and  universal
standards of human rights.

  Mr.  Saro-Wiwa was a champion of the rights of his fellow Ogoni people and
a world  leader in  the struggle  to  preserve our  environment.   He was  a
distinguished author,  an Amnesty International  Prisoner of Conscience  and
the  recipient of many international  awards.  The United States extends its
sincere condolences to  the families of  those executed.  Their  deaths will
be mourned around the world.

  The  United States deplores the  gravely flawed process by  which Mr. Saro
Wiwa and his  associates were convicted and  executed.  They were  condemned
outside the traditional judicial system and  without regard for due process.
This latest action follows  the 1 October announcement  by the Government of
Nigeria of a transition to democracy  that lacks credibility.   In addition,
we  have strongly condemned the imposition of harsh  sentences last month on
the  alleged coup  plotters.  In that  case, a secret trial  also denied the
defendants due process.

  In response to these actions, President Clinton has decided:

  To recall Ambassador Carrington from Lagos for consultations;

  To  protest  the executions  to  the  Nigerian  Ambassador  to the  United
States, Zubair Mahmud Kazaure;

  To ban the sale and repair of military goods and services to Nigeria;

  To extend our ban  on visas, which currently prohibits the entry into  the
United States  of senior military  officers and  senior government officials
and their families, to include  also all military officers and civilians who
actively  formulate, implement  or benefit  from  the policies  that  impede
Nigeria's transition to democracy;

  To ask  his Ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, to begin
consultations immediately on appropriate United Nations measures to  condemn
these actions; and

  Henceforth, to require  Nigerian government officials visiting the  United
Nations  or the  international financial  institutions to  remain  within 25
miles of those organizations;

  We will continue to oppose International  Monetary Fund loans and  credits
and debt relief for Nigeria.
    The United  States reiterates  its call  on the  Nigerian leadership  to
speed  the  transition to  democracy  starting  by releasing  all  political
detainees immediately  and  unconditionally.   We  again urge  the  Nigerian
Government  to take  bold, credible  steps  to  restore Nigeria  promptly to
civilian democratic rule, and will keep additional measures under review.


-----