{"id":1476,"date":"2026-05-19T08:39:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T08:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/19\/calls-for-release-of-sierra-leonean-singer-jailed-in-crackdown-on-free-speech\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T08:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T08:39:41","slug":"calls-for-release-of-sierra-leonean-singer-jailed-in-crackdown-on-free-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1476","title":{"rendered":"Calls for release of Sierra Leonean singer jailed in \u2018crackdown on free speech\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"68fa67fb-fbb9-4c15-b23d-e5041ca7ccfc\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A young African woman in a headdress and loose gown speaks into a mic at an outdoors rally \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/15a5570eea7f531ac5d76a9961ef4f95d785bfd7\/66_0_1434_1147\/master\/1434.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.9351464435146\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Zainab Sheriff at a rally last November. Her case came a year after Hawa Hunt, a social media figure, was arrested on live TV for posts about President Julius Maada Bio. <\/span> Photograph: Handout<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"68fa67fb-fbb9-4c15-b23d-e5041ca7ccfc\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Zainab Sheriff at a rally last November. Her case came a year after Hawa Hunt, a social media figure, was arrested on live TV for posts about President Julius Maada Bio. <\/span> Photograph: Handout<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Calls for release of Sierra Leonean singer jailed in \u2018crackdown on free speech\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Zainab Sheriff unjustly sentenced to four years in prison for incitement and threatening language, say activists<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Lawyers, politicians and activists have called for the release of one of Sierra Leone\u2019s best-known celebrities, who they said was unjustly imprisoned as part of a government crackdown on free speech and political dissent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Zainab Sheriff, a singer and reality-TV show contestant who became a political opposition figure, was sentenced in April to four years and two months\u2019 imprisonment for incitement and using threatening language.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sheriff\u2019s charges stem from a speech she made in January, a video recording of which was played at the trial. According to prosecutors, Sheriff made statements during a rally saying that anyone who rigged an election had stolen the people\u2019s vote, committed treason and they and their families should be killed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e9deb06f-c1b7-4153-9f6a-b9e455ebddff\" data-spacefinder-role=\"supporting\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-a2pvoh\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A young African woman in a blue and green dress \u2013 the colours of Sierra Leone\u2019s flag\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2271395544df245763290e5671e9c2fc593444bd\/0_39_1058_1057\/master\/1058.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"444.57939508506615\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"e9deb06f-c1b7-4153-9f6a-b9e455ebddff\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Zainab Sheriff was known for singing and reality TV before she went into politics <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">During the last election in Sierra Leone in 2023, organisations including the Carter Center, a US election monitoring group, expressed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartercenter.org\/news\/pr\/2023\/sierra-leone-062723.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">concern about the transparency of the tabulation process<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cA lot of us feel this isn\u2019t about Sheriff\u2019s words,\u201d said Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of the capital, Freetown, and a member of the All People\u2019s Congress opposition party. \u201cThis is about Sheriff being used as a very, very visible, high-profile example of what you must not do in this society now. You must not speak your mind or you can be charged and end up in jail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis is about ensuring that people are scared,\u201d she said. \u201cI am disappointed [in the sentence]. And that\u2019s an understatement. The bottom line is, we\u2019ve heard far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Arrested on 20 February, Sheriff pleaded not guilty. She was repeatedly denied bail and was sentenced on 14 April. She is being held in a maximum-security prison in Freetown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Willietta Hughes, legal manager for AdvocAid, a civil society organisation working with girls and women in Sierra Leone, supported Sheriff\u2019s case. She said the court proceedings were at times reminiscent of a show trial and called the sentence \u201cridiculous\u201d. No evidence was presented that Sheriff\u2019s comments had provoked any public reaction, she said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"070abea4-45ed-4945-9bad-2fc9f9297ceb\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A young African woman in sunglasses gets out of a 4x4 escorted by soldiers \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/6e3bdc3461a76c5e591fdb1a3cc89363ba5095d3\/366_0_1733_1123\/master\/1733.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"288.36410848240047\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"070abea4-45ed-4945-9bad-2fc9f9297ceb\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Zainab Sheriff arriving at court. The model and musician was repeatedly denied bail and is being held in a maximum-security prison in Freetown.<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Sierraloaded<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe have seen people who have said far worse than what she said and they were either not prosecuted or were given a very low term,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cI see [Sheriff\u2019s case] as sending a message to people that you can\u2019t get up one day and say x, y and z, which is a person\u2019s legal right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She added: \u201cIt\u2019s a laughing issue, but we\u2019ve seen the trend where the law is being utilised as a weapon against people who speak up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sheriff\u2019s sentence comes a year after Hawa Hunt, a social media influencer, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/feb\/10\/social-media-influencer-sierra-leone-hawa-hunt\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">arrested on live television for posts she made<\/a> about Sierra Leone\u2019s president, Julius Maada Bio, and the first lady, Fatima Bio, in May 2023. She was detained for two months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In March 2023, five UN experts <a href=\"https:\/\/spcommreports.ohchr.org\/TMResultsBase\/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27881\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">wrote to President Bio about the detention and treatment of more than 40 people<\/a>, predominately women, by the authorities on 4 July 2022 for protesting about increased living costs and the government\u2019s handling of the economy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"bb0058b3-0373-483c-8adc-dae5c4c9df97\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A middle-aged African man in a white shirt speaks to a crowd while a woman watches him \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/de9072706676206999ac44941243bb14014164b9\/0_0_5000_3206\/master\/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"285.334\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"bb0058b3-0373-483c-8adc-dae5c4c9df97\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Sierra Leone\u2019s president, Julius Maada Bio, pictured with his wife, Fatima, speaks to journalists after voting in 2023\u2019s national elections <\/span> Photograph: Cooper Inveen\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hughes said the case had chilling implications. \u201cAs women, we are placed in a certain category where you can only say certain things,\u201d she said. \u201cThe moment you say words which appear to be a bit strong, you are considered to be violating some sort of rule or law, and acting against your own gender.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8352b1a6-6896-4518-ac38-61c5ddeb0140\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-16 | 16\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/mar\/12\/biased-laws-poverty-debt-abortion-female-prisoners-penal-reform-report\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Biased laws and poverty driving huge rise in female prisoners \u2013 report<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JRP21owPzE0\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a recent interview<\/a>, Nemata Majeks Walker, a prominent women\u2019s rights activists and founder of the 50\/50 Group, spoke out about the climate for women in Sierra Leone, saying repeatedly that she was \u201cscared\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt is sad that women\u2019s voices are being oppressed, but women will continue to speak up,\u201d she said. \u201cThey will be guarded but they will continue to speak. It will be difficult to speak the truth because you are scared, but we will continue to express that we have a right to take part in politics, we have a right to hold positions of power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Aki-Sawyerr added: \u201cIt is scary the way the laws are being used. That\u2019s why we have to keep speaking up. We can\u2019t just ignore what I would say is the transformation of our democracy into an authoritarian state.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-development\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Global development<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/series\/women-in-prison\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Women in prison<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/sierraleone\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Sierra Leone<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/freedom-of-speech\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Freedom of speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/activism\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Activism<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/human-rights\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Human rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Calls%20for%20release%20of%20Sierra%20Leonean%20singer%20jailed%20in%20%E2%80%98crackdown%20on%20free%20speech%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/19\/calls-for-release-of-sierra-leonean-singer-jailed-in-crackdown-on-free-speech?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fmay%2F19%2Fcalls-for-release-of-sierra-leonean-singer-jailed-in-crackdown-on-free-speech&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/may\/19\/calls-for-release-of-sierra-leonean-singer-jailed-in-crackdown-on-free-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zainab Sheriff at a rally last November. Her case came a year after Hawa Hunt, a social media figure, was arrested on live TV for posts about President Julius Maada &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1476\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}