The West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defence Lawyers (WANAMDEL) has raised serious concerns over Sierra Leone’s Counter-Terrorism Bill 2024, warning that it could severely restrict press freedom and civic engagement in the country.
The bill has been met with strong criticism with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and many concerned stakeholders in Sierra Leone and across the West Africa region stating the vague and broad language of some of the provisions of the bill could easily be abused to suppress free expression as has been observed with the cybercrime law.
In a statement signed by 14 prominent human rights defence lawyers from across West Africa, WANAMDEL criticized the bill’s broad language, vague definitions, and potential to infringe on fundamental rights, particularly those of journalists, civil society actors, and citizens engaging in lawful protest.
The legal network acknowledged the state’s legitimate responsibility to protect citizens and preserve national security but emphasized that the bill’s definition of terrorism introduces ambiguous terms such as “intimidation of the public” and “undermining public safety” without sufficiently distinguishing such conduct from legitimate civic expression.
“This lack of clarity creates serious risks of misuse, potentially criminalizing activities such as investigative journalism, peaceful demonstrations, whistleblowing, and critical commentary on governance,” the statement noted.
WANAMDEL expressed particular concern about Sections 12, 15, and 21 of the bill, which the organization claims do not provide adequate safeguards for media professionals, human rights defenders, or academics who play vital roles in upholding transparency, accountability, and democratic governance.
The lawyers’ network argued that these provisions contradict Section 25(1) of Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, as well as key international obligations including Article 19 and 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
WANAMDEL also highlighted the bill’s absence of judicial oversight, application of strict liability to offenses requiring intent, and imposition of disproportionate penalties, including life imprisonment, as features raising significant constitutional and human rights concerns.
“In a country like Sierra Leone, where democratic institutions remain in a delicate state of consolidation, such legislation, if left unchecked, could be used to suppress legitimate civic activity under the guise of national security,” the statement warned.
The organization called on the Sierra Leonean government to revisit the bill and adopt a narrowly tailored, violence-based definition of terrorism that excludes non-violent civic actions, introduce explicit protections for journalists and rights defenders, ensure judicial oversight, harmonize the bill with international human rights norms, and amend provisions inconsistent with the country’s constitution.
WANAMDEL, established by the Media Foundation for West Africa, comprises legal experts from Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Senegal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Togo, who provide legal assistance to activists, journalists, and news media organizations across the region.