An Israeli member of parliament has written to the United Nations asking it to review the conviction and continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
MK Afef Abbed sent a September 1, 2026 letter to the UN Secretary‑General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair‑Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A copy of the letter was made available to journalists on Thursday.
Kanu was convicted in November 2025 on terrorism‑related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja. In her letter, Abbed asked the UN and its human rights mechanisms to examine whether the recommendations in Opinion No. 25/2022 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have been implemented.
The Working Group concluded in 2022 that Kanu’s deprivation of liberty was arbitrary and called on the governments of Nigeria and Kenya to remedy his situation without delay. It recommended his immediate release and the granting of an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations under international law. The Group also urged investigations into Kanu’s arrest in Kenya and his transfer to Nigeria.
Abbed said these findings remain important despite subsequent legal developments, including Kanu’s conviction and sentence. “These subsequent developments do not diminish the importance of the serious concerns and findings set out by the Working Group in its 2022 Opinion,” she wrote, adding that all proceedings related to Kanu should comply with international standards of due process and human rights.
She asked the UN to request an official update from the Nigerian government on measures taken in response to the Working Group’s recommendations and to consider issuing a public update on the opinion’s implementation. Abbed also urged continued monitoring by UN human rights mechanisms, including the Working Group and other mandate holders, to ensure compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The lawmaker called for a rights‑respecting resolution based on the rule of law and referred to a separate call by U.S. Congressman John James for Kanu’s immediate release.
Abbed also raised concerns about Kanu’s health and access to medical care, citing allegations that Nigerian authorities have not provided adequate treatment and have prevented his personal physician from attending to him. She urged relevant UN mechanisms to examine those allegations, particularly where a detainee’s health and fundamental rights are concerned.
“As a Member of the Knesset of the State of Israel, I believe that strengthening respect for international legal institutions and human rights mechanisms is a shared interest of all democratic societies,” Abbed wrote. She urged UN bodies to maintain professional, consistent and independent engagement with the case to promote respect for human rights, the rule of law and due process.
