Calls to release Sierra Leone singer jailed for 'cracking down on free speech'

Lawyers, politicians, and activists have called for the release of one of Sierra Leone's most famous personalities, Zainab Sheriff, whom they say has been unfairly jailed as part of the government's campaign to stifle free speech and political dissent.

Zainab Sheriff, a singer, reality TV contestant, and political opposition figure, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison in April for incitement and using threatening language. The charges stemmed from a speech in January in which she declared that anyone who rigged an election had stolen the people's votes, committed treason, and deserved to be killed along with their family. A video of the speech was played in court.

During the 2023 election, organizations such as the Carter Center raised concerns about the transparency of the vote-counting process. Sheriff was arrested on February 20, pleaded not guilty, was repeatedly denied bail, and was convicted on April 14. She is currently being held in a maximum-security prison in the capital, Freetown.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown and a member of the opposition All People's Congress party, argued that the case is not just about Sheriff's words. 'This is about Sheriff being used as a very prominent model to warn what you must not do in this society. You must not speak your mind if you don't want to be charged and put in prison. This is to make people afraid.' She added, 'I am disappointed with the sentence. That is an understatement. The truth is, we have heard worse words.'

Willietta Hughes, legal manager at AdvocAid, a civil society organization supporting women and girls, said the proceedings sometimes resembled a show trial and called the sentence 'ridiculous.' She stressed there was no evidence that Sheriff's words caused any public reaction. 'We have seen people who have said far worse but are not prosecuted or receive very light sentences. I see this case as a message that you cannot stand up and say this or that, which is a person's legal right.' She added, 'It's a laughable matter, but we have seen a trend of weaponizing the law against those who speak out.'

Sheriff's sentence came a year after Hawa Hunt, a social media influencer, was arrested live on television for posts about President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Bio in May 2023. She was detained for two months. In March 2023, five United Nations experts wrote to President Bio about the detention and treatment of over 40 people, mostly women, arrested in July 2022 for protesting against rising living costs.

Hughes said the case has a chilling effect. 'As women, we are placed in a certain category where you are only allowed to say certain things. When you say words that sound a bit strong, you are seen as violating the rules and acting against your gender.' In a recent interview, prominent women's rights activist Nemata Majeks Walker repeatedly said that she was 'afraid' of the atmosphere for women in Sierra Leone. 'It is sad that women's voices are being suppressed, but women will continue to speak out. They will be cautious but still continue. It will be hard to speak the truth because you are afraid, but we will continue to assert our right to participate in politics and hold power.'

Aki-Sawyerr concluded, 'It is frightening to see the law used this way. That's why we must keep speaking out. We cannot ignore what I call the transformation of our democracy into a dictatorship.'