By Alusine Fullah

Media Reform Coordinating group (MRCG) has published its monthly Media Freedom Review produced from the monitoring and reporting on freedom of expression and of the press, internet freedom, digital and online rights, and safety and security of journalists in Sierra Leone.

According to MRCG, in February 2024 it monitored the invitation and detention of two journalists in Freetown. Apart from that, the group also followed up on various issues, including the attack on the office and staff of a radio in Makeni, the online ‘death threat’ against a journalist, assault on a journalist, alleged destruction of property of a journalist in Freetown while by police officer, alleged assault on a journalist in Moyamba district, etc.Among the critical cases mentioned by MRCG are on the matter between the managing Editor of Night Watch Newspaper, Emmanuel Christian Thorli and the staff of Njala University; the arrest of Ady Macauley Esq. The report vividly stated that there has been no progress on the matter of Ady Macauley who was arrested and detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for expressing his legal opinion on the 1965 Public Order Act.

In connection to Night Watch Newspaper’s case with Njala University the report states: “The Acting Public Relations Officer for Njala University, Ayuba Koroma, still maintained that, they had amicably resolved the matter in an informal way. Police said investigations on the matter were pending…”

Sierra Leone repealed its obnoxious law, criminal libel and seditious laws (Part V of the Public Order Act of 1965) in 2020. Thereafter, press freedom has been expanding in the country with the progress story punctuated by improvements in the legal environment, development of press freedom watchdog institutions and a consolidation of the architecture of these institutions.

All of these positives have been happening amidst fine cooperation between government and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), a trade union of journalists in the country.

However, looking at several reports from MRCG, the writings are on the hall that there still remain troubling chapters in the story – physical attacks, threats, judicial harassment, summons, arrests and detentions, and intimidating interrogation of journalists by government institutions still happen in Sierra Leone.