SLP (Sierra Leone Police) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have again come under the spotlight for outrageous human rights abuses and violations. The global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International has highlighted major human rights violations perpetrated by the police and the army in the execution of their duties.
The report looks at human rights situations in 149 countries in 2020 and provides global and regional analysis. It also presents the organisation’s concerns and calls on governments and other relevant entities for actions.
The report also pays particular attention about the outbreak of Corona Virus Disease aka COVID-19 particularly how actions taken by authorities to control it trampled on the socio-economic rights of citizens.
It notes that measures taken to tackle the pandemic impacted everyone, but throws into stark relief, and sometimes aggravated, existing inequalities and patterns of abuse.
It shows in Page-316 the reckless and unprofessional manner in which the police and army handle incidents of public disorder in several parts of the country. The police moreover were singled out for their special specific abuses.
Despite a complete overhaul of police response to disorders during the police reform project (1998-2003), the police still continue to exhibit unprofessionalism in handling riots.
The report specifically indicted the police for excessive use of force against civilians. Such use of force has generated huge concerns among Sierra Leonean public.
The shooting dead of 30 inmates and one correction officer in April, 2020 during a riot at the country’s main correctional facility in Freetown was captured by the report. Dozens of people, the report said, were also seriously injured.
The shooting spree by trigger-happy military officers came while inmates were protesting against over-crowding and COVID-19 restrictions.
A month prior to the protest, the country’s Chief Justice, Desmond Babatunde Edwards stopped trials at the law court when an inmate was reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Calls from the public and media urging the CJ to reconsider his decision were ignored. CJ Edwards reversed his decision few days after the protest.
The reversal, most Sierra Leoneans believed, was never done on humanitarian grounds. The decision was reversed only owing to deteriorating security situation in the country.
CJ’s decision was at variance with a fundamental provision found in Section 23(1) in Chapter-111 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
Chapter-Three has as its headline: ‘The Recognition and Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of the Individual.’ The provision is very much instructive on the speedy and fair trial of any person accused to have committed a crime.
“Whenever any person is charged with a criminal offence, he shall unless the charge is withdrawn be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable timeframe…”
The report also captured police response to a protest between 17th and 18th July, 2020 in the north-eastern headquaters of Makeni. The report noted that police used excessive force against protesters at a demonstration which turned violent there.
Reports from NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organisations) indicated a death toll of six protesters.
The report said the protesters were resisting a government’s decision to relocate an electricity power generator from Makeni to the northern town of Lungi.
Abuse of human rights by police and military officers during COVID-19 lockdowns were also brought to the fore.
The report said indigent citizens who ventured the streets in search of food and water during lockdowns were manhandled. The report said police and military actions towards the needy civilians constituted a violation of socio-economic rights. Police handling of reported criminal matters and suspects held in their custody was also equally considered by the report.
In this aspect of the report, the case of Awareness Times Publisher and leading APC member, Dr Sylvia Blyden was brought into sharp focus.
The report noted that in May, 2020, Dr Blyden was arrested and charged with, among several others, seditious and defamatory libel, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and publication of false news.
The false news charge came after a publication in Awareness Times Newspaper indicated that former Minister of Defence, Alfred Paolo Conteh was held in appalling detention facility.
The former Minister was arrested following allegations of plotting to overthrow President Bio and took over state administration. A not-guilty verdict for treason returned by jurors of a high court in Freetown restored hope in the former Minister.
However, Paolo Conteh was convicted on minor offences for which he was also held for months in prison. An appeal at Sierra Leone’s Court was sub-judice when the former Minister was set free through a presidential pardon.
He was never compensated despite the lengthy period he was held in custody, and the widely reported ill-treatment he suffered in the hands of the Bio administration. Sierra Leone is a signatory and ratifier of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966.
In July, 2020, parliament repealed Part-V of the Public Order Act, 1965 used to prosecute people of defamation and sedition charges for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Months after the repeal of defamatory and seditious law, Blyden’s case was dismissed in July by the High Court owing to insufficient evidence.
The report further stated that 17 environmental and land rights activists, members of Malen Affected Land Owners Association were discharged after a prolonged trial which followed arrest in early 2019 after a demonstration.
Political tension between the ruling SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) and the main Opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) also featured prominently in the report. Tension between the two parties corrodes the country’s democratic order and renders the country unsafe.
Effort made by government to bring back peace does not yield much dividend. Bintumani-111 held at the Bintumani Hall in Freetown was boycotted by the main opposition party.
APC seemed not ready for compromise with SLPP Government owing to what it refers to as thuggery, brutality and incivility meted to them by the Bio administration.
Absence of the main opposition at the peace talks made the entire process of peace and reconciliation a disaster. Political tension evidenced by physical confrontations between SLPP and APC still continues.
Over a week ago, parliamentarians on the two sides of the political divide were at each other’s throat over a tabling of three controversial bills in parliament.
The Mid-Term Census, Non-Partisan Local Councils and Cybercrime bills were ones that generated disorder in parliament.
The opposition says the passage of the three bills into law is unconstitutional. Their promulgation into law, they say, does not help the country in any shape or form.
Opposition parliamentarians argue that passage of the bills into law is naked attempt at protecting the party in power.
The bills are still pending in parliament. Flare-ups in an event government use force to pass the bills into law could not be ruled out.
In the anticipated tensions, the police and the army are again expected to lord it over the people to pave way for PAOPA Government.