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Alerts - Sierra Leone

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Sierra Leone

Rights groups urge passage of Freedom of Information Bill

The legislation would allow the public to obtain access to information held by public bodies including information that was previously inaccessible, or that was considered sensitive such as government contracts with multinational companies.

Sierra Leone

District chairman forces radio off air, confiscates broadcast equipment

Radio Wanjei has been off air since 19 March 2012, when Sadiq Sallah stormed the station and seized their broadcasting equipment for allegedly breaching a contract with the Council.

Sierra Leone

TV cameraman assaulted by opposition party supporters

MFWA) correspondent reported that without provocation the SLPP supporters attacked Cole while he was filming persons being interviewed by his colleague Kargbo at the opposition party's headquarters.

Sierra Leone

Two pastors assault newspaper editor; community radio journalists attacked

Editor Abdul Karim Fonti Kabia was assaulted by pastors of the Baptist Convention Church after publishing a story about the church's leader.

Sierra Leone

Edition of newspaper seized by police

The seized edition of the paper included an article critical of Alhaji Allie Batorma Sheriff, former chair of the opposition Sierra Leonean People's Party, who has now defected to the ruling All People's Congress.

Sierra Leone

Presidential guards attack four journalists

Following the attack, Mohamed Fajah Barrie lost consciousness and was hospitalised; he has since been discharged.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper reporter receives death threat

Ibrahim Kalokoh was threatened by two staff members of the Port Authority on 2 July regarding a report he published about corruption within the institution.

Sierra Leone

Sports journalists under threat

Following a series of attacks by James Fofanah on journalists, the president of the Sports Writers Association, denounces attempts to instill fear and make sports journalists hesitate about conducting their regular activities.

Sierra Leone

Police arrest two suspects in murder of newspaper journalist

The two arrested men, Victor Haffman, headman of Kossoh town, and Musa Samura, a police constable, are expected to soon appear in court.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper editor attacked by ruling party militants

The editor believes his ordeal is related to his newspaper's recent articles about the Ministry of Health.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper journalist stabbed to death

Ibrahim Foday's death may be linked to a series of articles he published on an ongoing land dispute between the towns of Grafton and Kossoh.

Sierra Leone

Journalists' association to sue opposition politician over attacks on two journalists

The SLAJ has decided to initiate legal action against an opposition presidential aspirant who allegedly masterminded attacks on two "Awareness Times" newspaper journalists.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper faces criminal prosecution

Authorities have threatened to prosecute publisher Sylvia Olayinka Blyden over an "Awareness Times" article criticising the president.

Sierra Leone

Minister orders arrest of several newspaper journalists

Abdul Rahman Kamara, Razrok Wurie, Sheik Unisa Thoronka and Alfred Koroma have been released on bail.

Sierra Leone

Journalist beaten by police, briefly detained

Kadijatu Savage was reportedly violently beaten and briefly detained before being released the intervention of her managing editor.

Sierra Leone

Radio station receives threats

Radio Democracy started receiving anonymous threats when it announced that it would resume broadcasting.

Sierra Leone

Court detains journalist for four hours

Arthwah Maddie was detained for erroneously reporting the age of a man jailed for incest.

Sierra Leone

Supreme Court dismisses journalists' association challenge to criminal, seditious libel laws

IPI urges the government to ensure libel laws are in line with media freedom standards.

Sierra Leone

Ruling party militants violently assault radio journalist

Radio Kolenten reporter Gibril Gottor was accused by the militants of "sabotaging" the government.

Sierra Leone

New broadcasting law gives president control over state media

The new law seeks to merge Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services with the United Nations Radio set up by the world body during the civil war.

Sierra Leone

Journalists' group declares news blackout on judiciary

SLAJ imposed a news blackout on the country’s judiciary, as part of its sustained campaign to against the Public Order Act.

Sierra Leone

ARTICLE 19 recommends improvements to draft information law

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - 28 May 2009 - ARTICLE 19 has prepared a note on the draft Sierra Leonean Right to Access Information Bill 2008, prepared through a collaborative effort of local NGOs and the authorities. The draft Bill is, for the most part, a progressive piece of legislation which draws on better international and comparative practice. At the same time, the regime of exceptions in the draft is overbroad and fails to provide for disclosure in the overall public interest.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper publisher turns herself in to police, bail set at "extortionary" level

The amount of bail which a Freetown court has set for the release of Sylvia Blyden, the publisher and editor of the independent newspaper "Awareness Times", is tantamount to judicial extortion, Reporters Without Borders has said.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper editor-in-chief threatened, in hiding following publication of article about president

On 12 May 2009, Sylvia Blyden, publisher and editor-in-chief of the privately-owned "Awareness Times" newspaper, alleged that her life was in danger and has since fled into hiding

Sierra Leone

Editor-in-chief violently attacked by ruling-party members

Two men stormed Sitta Turay's office and accused him of using his newspaper to serve the interest of the opposition by writing articles defaming the image of President Koroma

Sierra Leone

Newspaper editor David Jabati physically assaulted

(MFWA/IFEX) - David Jabati, editor of "The Exclusive", a Freetown-based independent newspaper, was violently assaulted on 13 March 2008 by angry supporters of the ruling All People's Congress Party (APC) at the headquarters of the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).

Sierra Leone

Four female journalists kidnapped, subjected to public humiliation by supporters of female genital mutilation

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 7 February 2009, four female journalists were taken hostage in Kanema, approx. 200 km from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, by members of a traditional female group called the Bondo Society. The group contested the journalists' reporting of female genital mutilation (FGM) practices in the county.

Sierra Leone

Media advocate Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai receives death threats after criticising government

(MFWA/IFEX) - Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, the executive director of Society for Democratic Initiatives (SDI), a Sierra Leone media advocacy organisation, received death threats on 6 February 2009 over his alleged criticism of the ruling All People's Congress (APC) government.

Sierra Leone

Youth party leader orders dismissal of radio journalist Gibril Gorttor

(MFWA/IFEX) - In a 20 January 2009 letter, the chairman of the youth wing of the ruling All People's Congress (APC) in the District of Kambia in northern Sierra Leone, Sorieba Yillah, ordered the dismissal of Gibril Gorttor, a reporter for Kollenten 92.4 FM, a community radio station in the area, for his alleged critical reports on party activities.

Sierra Leone

Radio station vandalised, staff members threatened with death

(MFWA/IFEX) - An angry mob from Tombo, a rural town 40 km from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on 24 November 2008 besieged the premises of Voice of Peninsular, a community radio station in the town and destroyed the station's broadcasting equipment.

Sierra Leone

Media advocacy group receives death threats

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ press release:

Sierra Leone

Police Council assumes responsibility in assault on journalists, pledges compensation for damages

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 24 September 2008, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) lifted the news blackout it imposed on the activities of the country's police over attacks on some of its members by police personnel.

Sierra Leone

Journalists impose news blackout on police activities to protest assault on colleagues

(MFWA/IFEX) - The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on September 22, 2008 imposed a news blackout on police activities as part of a campaign to demand justice for journalists who were violently assaulted by Sierra Leone Police Force personnel in August.

Sierra Leone

Ruling party militants ransack opposition radio station, knock it out of service; journalists manhandled by security personnel

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 13 August 2008, Unity Radio, a Freetown-based radio station owned by the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), was ransacked by supporters of the ruling All People's Congress party (APC), disrupting the normal broadcast of the station.

Sierra Leone

Security personnel assault, injure eight journalists covering political party meeting

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 13 August 2008, security personnel deployed at the State House in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, violently assaulted eight journalists covering a meeting between the ruling All Peoples Congress Party (APC) and the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).

Sierra Leone

Unity Radio exonerated by media regulatory body after being shut down by information minister

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 21 May 2008, the Independent Media Commission (IMC), Sierra Leone's media regulatory body, cleared Unity Radio, a station operated by the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), of four allegations of misconduct.

Sierra Leone

SLBS refutes claim Unity Radio station's antenna improperly installed; radio station's closure will limit pre-election free expression, says RSF

(RSF/IFEX) - On 14 May 2008, Reporters Without Borders wrote to information and communication minister Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo asking him to explain his 8 May decision to close Unity Radio 94.00 FM, a station operated by the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), and urging him to reconsider.

Sierra Leone

Opposition radio station shut down

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 8 May 2008, Unity Radio, a station run by Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), was shut down on the orders of the Minister of Information and Communication, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo.

Sierra Leone

Government threatens criminal prosecution of newspaper over articles critical of president

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 6 May 2008, the press secretary to State House, Sheka Tarawally, threatened "New Vision", an independent Freetown-based newspaper, with legal action if the newspaper failed to retract three articles it published accusing President Ernest Bai Koroma of being wasteful.

Sierra Leone

Journalists' group challenges libel laws used to silence critics

(MFWA/IFEX) - The following is a 3 March 2008 MFWA press release:

Sierra Leone

Publisher detained briefly, accused of "ridiculing" president

(MFWA/IFEX) - Silvia Blyden, publisher of "The Awareness Times", a privately-owned daily newspaper based in Freetown, was arrested and detained on 5 March 2008 by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police in Sierra Leone for allegedly ridiculing President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Sierra Leone

Editor detained briefly, released on bail

(MFWA/IFEX) - Jonathan Leigh, managing editor of the "Independent Observer", a Freetown-based newspaper, was arrested and briefly detained in a police cell on 15 February 2008, for allegedly defaming Minister of Transport and Aviation Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay. The journalist was detained following a court order.

Sierra Leone

WAN welcomes government's announcement that it will decriminalise libel

(WAN/IFEX) - The following is a WAN press release:

Sierra Leone

Journalist charged with defamation under repressive law that government had pledged to amend

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders deplores the transport and aviation minister's use of a repressive law - which his government promised to amend - to prosecute Jonathan Leigh, the editor of the Freetown-based weekly "The Independent Observer".

Sierra Leone

Various acts of violence, harassment, death threats against journalists on eve of election

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF is alarmed by a wave of threats and attacks on journalists by supporters of the two candidates in Sierra Leone's 8 September 2007 presidential election run-off. Many cases of violence involving members of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People's Congress (APC) have been reported since late July.

Sierra Leone

Criminal charges against newspaper editor dropped

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 21 August 2007, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Fred Carew, discontinued criminal proceedings against Philip Neville, editor of the "Standard Times", a privately-owned Freetown-based daily newspaper.

Sierra Leone

Two presenters injured in armed attack on evangelical radio station

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has condemned an attack by gunmen on Believers Broadcasting Network (BBN), a Christian radio station in Freetown, in the early hours of 4 August 2007, in which two radio presenters were shot and seriously injured.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper editor freed on bail pending trial after court set tough conditions for release

(RSF/IFEX) - Philip Neville, the editor of the privately-owned "Standard Times" daily newspaper, was released from Pademba Road prison late on 3 July 2007 after paying bail. No date has yet been set for his trial.

Sierra Leone

Newspaper editor in detention for criticising president's silence on gifts from Libyan leader

(MFWA/IFEX) - Philip Neville, publisher and editor of privately-owned "Standard Times" was arrested on June 28, 2007 and detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Freetown, for allegedly publishing subversive materials. Although he has not being charged, the police have refused to grant him bail.

Sierra Leone

Angry youth close down radio station

(MFWA/IFEX) - Some members of a youth association, the Kabala Town Youth in Koinadugu District, a northern province of Sierra Leone, about 200 kilometres from the capital, Freetown, besieged the premises of Radio Bintumani, the community radio station, and closed it down on 11 February 2007.

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