Calls for release of Sierra Leonean singer jailed in ‘crackdown on free speech’
Summary
Zainab Sheriff, a well-known singer and political opponent in Sierra Leone, was sentenced to over four years in prison for incitement and using threatening language during a political rally. Lawyers and activists say her imprisonment is part of a government crackdown on free speech and is meant to intimidate others from speaking out.Key Facts
- Zainab Sheriff was sentenced in April to four years and two months in prison.
- She was charged after a speech in January where she said election rigging was treason and called for harsh punishment.
- Sheriff was arrested on February 20 and denied bail multiple times before her sentencing.
- Critics say no evidence showed her speech caused public harm.
- Legal workers described the trial as unfair and politically motivated.
- Sheriff is held in a maximum-security prison in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
- Another case in 2023 involved a social media influencer arrested for criticizing the president.
- UN experts have raised concerns about the government’s detention of protestors and critics.
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