The Community Reform Network (CRN), a Sierra Leonean advocacy and social justice organisation registered in the United Kingdom, has expressed deep concern over the continued detention of social activist, Ms. Zainab Sheriff, who has now been held for 27 days by the Sierra Leone Police.<\/p>\n
Ms. Sheriff was arrested on 20 February 2026 on allegations of incitement and insulting behaviour stemming from statements she made during a political rally organised by the opposition All People\u2019s Congress (APC) at the Attouga Stadium in Freetown on 31 January 2026. Since her arrest, she has appeared before a Magistrate on at least four occasions, but has repeatedly been denied bail.<\/p>\n
CRN maintains that both the arrest and continued detention of Ms. Sheriff constitute clear violations of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. The organisation emphasised that Chapter III, Section 25 of the Constitution guarantees the protection of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of opinion.<\/p>\n
Human rights observers, legal practitioners, and civil society representatives have widely described Ms. Sheriff\u2019s detention as politically motivated and an infringement of her rights as a citizen. Reports from Freetown further allege that she has been subjected to intimidation, ill-treatment, and other forms of abuse while in custody.<\/p>\n
CRN is calling on the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional provisions, and ensure that Ms. Sheriff\u2019s rights are fully protected, including her immediate and unconditional release or the granting of bail in accordance with due process.<\/p>\n
86-90 Paul Street<\/p>\n
London, EC2A 4NE<\/p>\n
England, GB 19\/03\/2026<\/p>\n
PRESS RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n Protest over the Continued Detention of Ms Zainab Sheriff in Sierra Leone<\/strong><\/p>\n The Community Reform Network (CRN), a Sierra Leonean Advocacy and Social Justice Institution<\/p>\n registered in the United Kingdom, expresses its deep concern over the continued detention of Ms Zainab Sheriff, a social activist, who has now been held for 27 days by the Sierra Leone Police. Ms Sheriff was arrested on 20 February 2026 on allegations of incitement and insulting behaviour arising from statements she made during a political rally organised by the opposition All People\u2019s Congress (APC) at the Attouga Stadium in Freetown on 31 January 2026. Since her arrest, she has appeared before a magistrate on at least four occasions but has repeatedly been denied bail.<\/p>\n CRN maintains that both the arrest and continued detention of Ms Sheriff constitute clear violations of<\/p>\n the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. The organisation emphasises that Chapter III, Section 25 of the<\/p>\n Constitution guarantees the recognition and protection of fundamental human rights, including freedom<\/p>\n of expression and freedom of opinion.<\/p>\n Human rights observers, legal practitioners, and civil society representatives have widely described Ms<\/p>\n Sheriff\u2019s detention as politically motivated and an infringement of her rights as a citizen. Reports from<\/p>\n Freetown indicate that she has been subjected to intimidation, ill-treatment, and other abuses, allegedly<\/p>\n due to her perceived support for the APC.<\/p>\n CRN further draws attention to Section 17 of the Constitution, which safeguards personal liberty. The<\/p>\n provision stipulates that individuals may be deprived of their liberty only in circumstances authorised by<\/p>\n law and must be promptly informed of the reasons for their arrest, afforded access to legal<\/p>\n representation, and brought before a court within 72 hours for non-capital offences. Where these<\/p>\n requirements are not met, the Constitution provides for release\u2014either unconditionally or on reasonable bail\u2014and for compensation in cases of unlawful detention.<\/p>\n The organisation also reminds the Sierra Leonean authorities of the Criminal Procedure Act 2024, which<\/p>\n states that offences of this nature are ordinarily bailable unless prosecutors can demonstrate compelling<\/p>\n grounds, supported by affidavit evidence, to justify refusal. CRN notes that prosecutors have not been<\/p>\n prepared to proceed substantively with the case, rendering the continued detention of Ms Sheriff<\/p>\n unlawful.<\/p>\n CRN calls on the Sierra Leone Police and the State legal authorities to uphold constitutional protections,<\/p>\n including Section 18 on freedom of movement, Section 20 on protection from torture and inhuman or<\/p>\n degrading treatment, and Section 25 on freedom of expression. The organisation aligns itself with<\/p>\n domestic and international human rights bodies that view Ms Sheriff\u2019s detention as a punitive action for<\/p>\n exercising her constitutional right to express political views.<\/p>\n Accordingly, CRN demands Ms Sheriff\u2019s immediate release or the granting of bail, full compliance with<\/p>\n constitutional safeguards, an end to further violations of her rights, and appropriate compensation for the alleged breaches.<\/p>\n CRN also urges the Government of Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Police to take note of the growing<\/p>\n public frustration surrounding this case. At a time when the international community continues to<\/p>\n advocate for increased participation of women in political and civic life\u2014particularly in countries such as<\/p>\n Sierra Leone\u2014the arrest and reported mistreatment of a young female activist represent a serious<\/p>\n setback.<\/p>\n It must be noted that Ms Sheriff\u2019s remarks constituted a conditional warning rather than an act of<\/p>\n incitement, as has been alleged. She stated that \u201cif\u201d the electoral authorities were to undermine the<\/p>\n electoral process\u2014as many believe occurred in 2023\u2014public reactions could follow, potentially resulting in loss of life. Her statement was therefore an expression of concern about future consequences, not a call to violence.<\/p>\n Considering these concerns, CRN appeals to the international community, including Amnesty<\/p>\n International, the Human Rights Commission, ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, the African Union, and<\/p>\n the International Criminal Court, to encourage Sierra Leone to honour its constitutional and international obligations. CRN further notes that the continued detention of Ms Sheriff appears inconsistent with Sierra Leone\u2019s commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), particularly Articles 1, 2, 3\u20135, and 12\u201317.<\/p>\n Contact:<\/p>\n The Corporate Secretary<\/p>\n Signature\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Sheku Bangura<\/p>\n Community Reform Network<\/p>\n Cc:<\/p>\n Bank Account #:09593002<\/p>\n Sort code :23-11-85 E-Mail : info@reformersgroup.org | Web : https:\/\/reformersgroup.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Community Reform Network (CRN), a Sierra Leonean advocacy and social justice organisation registered in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n\n