After a 55 year struggle, a major victory for press freedom in Sierra Leone

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A law used to harass and intimidate journalists has been repealed

In most countries, libel or defamation is a civil rather than criminal offence. But in Sierra Leone, since 1965, libel has been punishable by a prison sentence. This law has been used to limit the freedoms of speech and expression in the country, and has provoked major discord between governments, journalists and human rights activists over the decades.repealed the infamous criminal libel law

“Criminal libel law puts journalists in jail and that’s a major impediment, and it’s repeal is very huge for journalism, freedom of expression in a country that has gone to war, that has seen millions of people die because of one party dictatorship,” Abdulai added. The controversial law leaves behind a grim legacy for many journalists who in one way or another had suffered its consequences. Most recently, in May 2020, the publisher of theAnother high-profile case was that of Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay, the Managing Editor and Chief Editor of thein 2013 for publishing a satirical article about former president Ernest Bai Koroma.

 

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