One of the forward-looking civil society organizations in Sierra Leone has joined dozens of right groups calling on government to allow a peaceful protest against the state scheduled to take place today, Monday 8 August 2022.Human Rights Defenders Network-Sierra Leone (HRDN-SL), a civil society advocacy organisation that defends defenders of human rights, also called on state authorities to respect the right of citizens of Sierra Leone to freely express their views on state affairs as well as to observe peaceful assemblies and associations as part of their constitutional democratic rights.
The HRDN-SL made this call via a press statement it issued on Saturday 6 August 2022, in connection with a proposed protest against the state scheduled to take place today.
The civic group said that the assembly, association and expressions of citizens’ views and opinions on how they are governed, play critical watchdog civic roles in the democratic space, and therefore acknowledged the significance of peaceful protest.
Articulating the importance of these rights further, HRDNSL in its press statement informed that assembling, peaceful protests and free expressions form part of the legitimate and democratic rights of the people.
“The law affirms that the people have the rights to know what their government does and how state institutions relate with each other,” the press statement reads.
The firebrand advocacy CSO thus underscored the critical roles played by peaceful assembly in society, which according to the press statement issued has a divinity watchdog quality. It states that such role requires that human rights defenders, including journalists, lawyers, professional and non-professionals, etc. enjoy free space for association and assembly as well as access to information to advocate and report accurately.
It quoted Chapter III of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone which guarantees the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights and freedoms. Also referenced by the CSO are Articles 10, 11 and 19 of the African Charter for Human and People’s Rights which also guarantee the same enjoyment and freedom to association, assemble and equality before the law.
“The law demands an acceptance of diversity of opinion, association and assembly in ensuring equality before the law”, the press statement furthered.
HRDNSL said the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Declaration defines a human rights defender as anyone working for the promotion and protection of human rights. It added that this broad definition encompasses professional as well as non-professional human rights workers, volunteers, journalists, lawyers and anyone else carrying out, even on an occasional basis, a human rights activity.
The rights group said that the UN Declaration also articulates existing human rights principles and values in such a way that it makes it easier to apply them to the situation of human rights defenders, reiterating that it is specifies how the rights contained in the major human rights instruments; including the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, apply to defenders. It also outlines the specific duties of States and the responsibility of everyone with regard to defending human rights.
HRDNSL noted that it strongly believes that every citizen has the rights to freely associate, assemble and express his or her opinion. The network has been following with grave concerns rumours of demonstration going round social media with no clear institution taking the responsibility of organizing such assembly. The network is with the opinion that every organized peaceful assembly and association has leadership that will ensure that their peaceful association and assembly will not affect the rights of other citizens and or undermine the security of other citizens.
“We believe that the proposed peaceful assembly and association (demonstration) does not only undermine the enjoyment of civic space by human rights defenders but also creates panic and insecurity of peaceful citizens,” the statement reads.
HRDNSL hence implored the leadership of the Sierra Leone Police to create the enabling environment to engage would be leaders of the proposed assembly and association, guarantee the protection of organizers of any such peaceful assembly and association and ensure the safety and protection of other citizens not involved in whatever peaceful assembly and association.
To the leaders of the proposed peaceful protest HRDNSL urged them to fulfil their responsibility and ensure that they respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
A press release issued late Saturday 6th August 2022, by the Security Sector noted full acknowledgment of release of voice notes, videos and text messages allegedly inciting the public to demonstrate against the state.
The release said that the security sector has not received request from any group or group of persons for procession either in written or verbal, adding that nobody has come forward as a leader or organizer of the demonstration.
In this regard, the security sector encouraged all citizens to ignore the faceless call to demonstrate against the state and go about their normal business.
