After years of unlawful arrests, torture, and imprisonment, 37 Sierra Leoneans—mostly supporters of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC)—have been formally cleared of any wrongdoing by the very government that once branded them criminals.
The declaration, signed on 12 August 2025 by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay, states that the named individuals are no longer subjects of any criminal investigation and are free to resume their lives. The announcement follows the government’s obligations under Resolution 4 of the Agreement for National Unity (ANU), the peace pact signed on 18 October 2023 between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the APC.
Victims of a Political Crackdown
Most of those now cleared were rounded up in the tense months before the 2023 general election in what human rights groups described as an SLPP-orchestrated campaign to intimidate and weaken the opposition. Many were dragged from their homes without warrants, beaten during arrest, and locked up in notorious detention facilities such as Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, Mafanta in Magburaka, and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) cells.
Former detainees recount harrowing stories of torture—being kept in overcrowded cells for months without trial, denied medical treatment, and subjected to inhumane punishments. Families were often left without information on their loved ones’ whereabouts.
International Pressure Forced Action
The government’s reversal did not come voluntarily. Mounting diplomatic pressure from ECOWAS, the African Union, and Western embassies forced President Julius Maada Bio’s administration to sign the Tripartite Agreement, committing to the release of political detainees and an end to politically motivated prosecutions.
The 37 names cleared this week—among them Idrissa Hamid Kamara, Insp. Sullay Deen Sesay, Sheik Ibrahim Koroma (SIK), Hassan N’Bompa Turay, and Hon. David Johnson—represent only a portion of those affected.
Dozens Still Behind Bars
Rights campaigners warn that many political prisoners remain in custody, despite the government’s public commitment to the ANU. Advocacy groups estimate that dozens of APC supporters are still languishing in various prisons, with some held for over two years without charge.
“The release of these 37 is welcome, but justice cannot be selective,” said one activist, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Every political detainee must be freed if Sierra Leone is serious about national unity.”
For the freed men and women, the damage cannot be undone—years lost, health broken, and reputations tarnished. But for those still trapped behind bars, the fight for justice continues.
By Joseph Turay
