By Zainab Sunkary Koroma (MRCG/ATJLF Fellow 2025)
In the aftermath of Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year civil war, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established under the Lome Peace Accord to promote healing and reconciliation. Among its many recommendations was a call for press freedom, enshrined in Section 75 of Volume 2, Chapter 3 of the 2004 TRC report. The report emphasized that freedom of expression is the lifeblood of democracy and that restrictions on it represent an abysmal state of affairs.
Two decades later, Sierra Leone’s press freedom landscape remains a mixed bag. While the country’s 1991 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and international treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) further reinforce this right, journalists continue to face significant challenges. From physical attacks and harassment to economic hardships, the media environment is fraught with obstacles that undermine the democratic ideals the TRC sought to uphold.
A Fragile Progress
In 2020, Sierra Leone took a significant step forward by repealing the draconian Public Order Act of 1965, which had allowed for prison terms of up to three years for criminal libel and up to one year for publishing false news. The repeal was hailed as a victory for press freedom, but the establishment of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to regulate the media has raised concerns. Although the IMC is intended to operate free of government control, its commissioners are appointed by the president, casting doubt on its independence.
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