Sierra Leone

(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. The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that Blyden was […]

Freedom of the Press 2007: Sierra Leone

(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. A Freetown magistrates’ court issued a warrant for the journalist’s […]

(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN press release: His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma Freetown, Sierra Leone 15 February 2008 Your Excellency, We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 102 countries, to welcome your government’s announcement that it will decriminalise […]

(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”. “We condemn this use of an archaic law by a member of a government that undertook not to […]

(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 […]

(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. A MFWA correspondent reported that President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah ordered the trial to be discontinued after the newspaper had fulfilled a number of conditions laid […]

(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. “Coming just a few days before general elections on 11 August, this armed attack should […]

(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. On 2 July, a Freetown court charged Neville with “libel”, “malicious propaganda” and “publishing false news”, and set very […]

(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. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) reported […]

(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. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) correspondent reported […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has voiced concern about the mutual hostility between Sylvia Blyden, a government ally and publisher of the privately-owned daily “Awareness Times”, and Philip Neville, the executive editor of the privately-owned daily “Standard Times”, which led to Neville’s arrest in Freetown on 6 February 2007, on a charge of libelling Blyden. […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 18 January 2007, the Office of the Attorney General instructed the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to officially ask the British government to extradite three siblings implicated in the murder of Harry Yansaneh, editor of the independent newspaper “For Di People”, a year and a half ago. Ahmed Komeh, Bai Bureh Komeh […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – Elligh Mothershed, a visiting American journalist, was arrested at 6B Jannet Lane Kingtom in Freetown on 15 November 2006, on the orders of Alpha Timbo, minister in charge of labour and industrial relations. The journalist was cautioned, released and asked to report to the minister later that day. The MFWA-Sierra Leone source said […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Director of Public Prosecution Oladipoh Robin Mason has finally requested the extradition of the three children of ruling party parliamentarian Fatmata Hassan Komeh, who allegedly had a role in the May 2005 beating of “For Di People” acting editor, Harry Yansaneh. Ahmed Komeh, Bai Bureh Komeh and Aminata Komeh fled to the United […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 27 July 2006, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) hailed the memory of “For Di People” acting editor Harry Yansaneh on the first anniversary of his death and called on the judicial authorities to re-launch the investigation into the severe beating he received two-and-a-half months before he died. “We voice our support for the […]