The United Kingdom has asked the Federal Government to respect the rule of law in the case regarding Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement.
The UK stated its position through the British High Commission in Nigeria in a series of posts on Twitter on Tuesday to mark the International Human Rights day.
Sowore was rearrested by operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) on Friday at a Federal High Court in Abuja, which led to chaotic scenes within the court premises and elicited varied responses from Nigerians and the international community.
Read Also: We’re Deeply Concerned About Sowore, Says US
The detained activist, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters, was rearrested just less than 24 hours after he was released by the DSS following an order of the court granting him bail.
The British High Commission in Nigeria said it is closely monitoring the continued detention of Sowore and asked the Federal Government to respect human rights and uphold free speech, which it said are tenets of democracy.
“As we celebrate #HumanRightsDay, we encourage all political, state and non-state actors to uphold the ideals set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed 71 years ago today.
“We are following closely the continued detention of #Sowore. Respect for the rule of law and free and responsible speech is fundamental for #democracy.
“The UK is committed to defending and strengthening human rights worldwide and, as we conclude #16DaysofActivism2019, working to end gender-based violence,” the British High Commission tweeted.
Read Also: We Didn’t Arrest Sowore In Courtroom, His Supporters Acted Scene, Says DSS
The Federal Government had filed a seven-count bordering on treasonable felony and money laundering against the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, in September.
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