By Sallieu S. Kanu
Sierra Leone – March 18, 2026: Amnesty International Sierra Leone has called on authorities to uphold constitutional and international human rights guarantees in the case of political activist and cultural figure Ms. Zainab Sheriff, who has been denied bail for the fourth consecutive time.
Sheriff was arrested on February 20 following remarks she delivered at the Brima Attouga Mini Stadium in Freetown on January 31, where she alleged electoral fraud. She was subsequently charged with incitement and threatening language.
Despite the charges being non-capital offences, Sheriff has repeatedly been refused bail by the Pademba Road Magistrates’ Court. Amnesty International argues that this contravenes both Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Act No. 8 of 2024, which stipulates that bail should be granted unless prosecutors provide compelling, evidence-based reasons to withhold it.
“The right to bail is not a privilege extended at whim, but a legal safeguard designed to protect liberty, uphold the presumption of innocence, and ensure that justice is not deferred into detention,” Amnesty International Sierra Leone said in a statement.
The organization warned that habitual denial of bail without clear justification undermines public confidence in the independence of the justice system and weakens constitutional protections.
Amnesty International is urging Sierra Leonean authorities to release Sheriff on bail and ensure due process in line with both national law and international standards. It emphasized that detention pending trial should only be applied when necessary and proportionate, with non-custodial measures such as bail preferred.