Sierra Leone

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 22 June 2005 letter to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, CPJ expressed deep concern that imprisoned journalist Paul Kamara has been denied due process of law. Administrative obstacles have prevented his appeal from being heard, according to his lawyer, and Kamara has now served more than eight months of a two-year prison […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 7 June 2005, Magistrate Sam Margai, of the No. 1 Freetown Court, discharged Syndey Pratt and Dennis Jones, editor and reporter, respectively, of the “Trumpet” newspaper. The two journalists were acquitted of charges of “seditious libel” brought against them on 27 May, following the publication of the paper’s 23 May edition. The […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 27 May 2005, managing editor Sydney B. Pratt and reporter Dennis Jones, of the independent weekly “Trumpet”, were charged with seditious libel by Magistrate Sam Margai of Court No. 1 in Freetown, where the newspaper is based. Pratt and Jones pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail of 40 […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 25 May 2005 CPJ press release: SIERRA LEONE: Journalists detained, charged with “seditious libel” New York, May 25, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the criminal charges brought today against two journalists from the private weekly newspaper Trumpet. Managing editor Sydney Pratt and reporter Dennis Jones were […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 10 May 2005, the parliamentary representative for the Tonkolili Central Constituency, Fatamata Hassan Komeh, instructed thugs to beat up Harry Yansaneh, acting editor of the daily “For Di People”, for allegedly writing negative comments about the government. According to MFWA-Sierra Leone sources, “For Di People” staff members were engaged in the production […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 15 April 2005, a Sierra Leone High Court presided by a Commonwealth judge, Justice Akiiki Kiiza, ruled against an application for bail filed by Paul Kamara, the jailed editor of “For di People” newspaper. According to MFWA sources, the refusal for bail was made on the grounds that the supporting affidavit accompanying […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 28 April 2005, Ahmed Sheriff, a correspondent for the independent daily “Salone Times”, was physically barred from the premises of the Criminal Investigation Department of the police station in Kenema, about 200 kilometres east of the capital, Freetown. According to MFWA-Freetown sources, Assistant Superintendent of Police Gabriel Tommy and other police officers […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 1 March 2005, Salamatu Turay, a senior reporter for the “Salone Times”, was assaulted while reporting on a clash between police and striking Fourah Bay College students. The incident took place in Freetown at the Eastend police roundabout. The journalist had gone there to cover the students’ strike and the ensuing clash […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN is deeply concerned for the safety of imprisoned journalist Paul Kamara following reports of his forced transfer to a prison block normally used for violent or high security prisoners. According to reports received by PEN, a number of guards at the Pademba Road prison attempted to drag the […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the three day detention without charge of “Peep!” magazine editor Olu Richie Awoonor Gordon in the capital, Freetown. The organisation has also criticised the failure of the UN mission in Sierra Leone to speak out on the government’s repeated press freedom violations. Police detained Gordon on 11 February 2005 after […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 13 November 2004, Mohamed Amara Josiah, a correspondent for “Standard Times” newspaper in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone, was assaulted by a group of men until he fell into a coma. Amara is currently responding to treatment at a local hospital in the region. According to MFWA sources in Sierra Leone, the attack […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – Paul Kamara, the jailed editor of the independent newspaper “For Di People”, has appealed the two-year prison sentence imposed on him by the High Court. In a 12-point statement filed with the Appeal Court in the capital, Freetown, on 22 October 2004, Kamara stated that the “judgement is against the weight of evidence” […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested over Justice Minister Fred M. Carew’s recent threat to jail Chernoh Ojukwu Sesay, editor of “The Pool” newspaper. “We are appalled at this abuse of power. It shows the government is determined to crack down on the media, two weeks after the unjust sentencing of ‘For di People’ editor Paul […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an 8 October 2004 IPI letter to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah: H. E. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Office of the President State House Freetown Sierra Leone Fax: +232 22 225 615 Vienna, 8 October 2004 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, leading journalists and media […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 6 October 2004 letter to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, CPJ condemned the imprisonment of Paul Kamara, editor and publisher of “For Di People” newspaper. On 5 October, Kamara was sentenced to two years in prison stemming from October 2003 articles that criticized the president. The court found Kamara guilty on two […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 26 July 2004, Alex James, station manager of Citizen FM, a privately-owned community radio station located in the east of the capital, Freetown, was attacked by a group of armed youth in the community. James was returning home from work when he was attacked by the youth, who robbed him of his […]