RIGHT TO HEALTH Sierra Leonians denounced poor sanitation In October, cases of Covid-19 rose in hospitals, and maternal and infant dramatically; human rights organizations mortality rates were high. continued to urge the government to act to BACKGROUND protect the right to physical and mental health. In many cases unvaccinated In January, 246 prisoners, including political employees were forced to work indoors opponent Alfred Paolo Conteh, were released without face-coverings. following a presidential pardon. Restrictive Environmental activists highlighted the measures used to control the Covid-19 detrimental health impacts of coal-fired pandemic intensified. Sierra Leone accepted power plants and a copper mine run by a 216 of 274 recommendations made under Chinese company, and the development of a the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) lithium mine by Rio Tinto. process. LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS DEATH PENALTY The draft law on same-sex partnership, On 23 July, parliament voted unanimously to opposed by the president, was not adopted. abolish the death penalty for all crimes and The draft allowed the registration of same-sex passed the Abolition of the Death Penalty Bill, partnerships and afforded a range of rights which was signed by the president on 8 but prohibited others, including the right to October. adoption. The September Pride called for its EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE introduction, action against hate crimes and hate speech, and progress in gender On 12 April, students at the Institute of recognition. In October, the Commissioner for Public Administration and Management the Protection of Equality called on local participated in a protest against the authorities to implement gender recognition institution’s release of an incomplete regulations. graduate list which omitted hundreds of IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS would-be graduates. The police violently dispersed protesters, beating and stripping a In August, armed groups operating in the woman of her shirt. Sahel were observed with Serbian small arms Three days later, a police officer shot dead a and light weapons, highlighting the high risk young man in Hastings over a private land of diversion of Serbia’s ongoing arms’ dispute. Following an internal investigation, 1 transfers to Burkina Faso. five officers were dismissed and the officer who fired the gun was arrested and charged 1. “Sahel: Amnesty identifies Serbian weapons in stockpiles of brutal with murder. Recommendations to strengthen the armed groups”, 24 August Independent Police Complaints Board went before the ministry of internal affairs as the SIERRA LEONE basis for a proposed Act of Parliament to regulate police violence. Republic of Sierra Leone FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Head of state and government: Julius Maada Bio During the UPR process, the government The president signed the Abolition of the accepted a recommendation to enact a law to Death Penalty Bill into law. The police used protect human rights defenders. By the end excessive force against protesters and other of the year, the legislative process to do so people. The government failed to protect had not yet started. the rights of LGBTI people. Sexual and gender-based violence remained prevalent. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 324