Calls for release of Sierra Leonean singer jailed in ‘crackdown on free speech’

Prominent Sierra Leonean singer and reality TV star Zainab Sheriff has been sentenced to four years in prison, sparking widespread outrage and calls for her release from international activists, lawyers, and politicians. According to activists, Sheriff's imprisonment is part of a broader government crackdown on free speech and political dissent in the West African nation. As a vocal supporter of the opposition, Sheriff's high profile has made her a target for the ruling party, which has been accused of silencing critics through intimidation and prosecution. The sentence has raised concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in Sierra Leone and the impact on the country's growing arts and entertainment industry.

Zainab Sheriff unjustly sentenced to four years in prison for incitement and threatening language, say activistsLawyers, politicians and activists have called for the release of one of Sierra Leone’s best-known celebrities, who they said was unjustly imprisoned as part of a government crackdown on free speech and political dissent.Zainab Sheriff, a singer and reality-TV show contestant who became a political opposition figure, was sentenced in April to four years and two months’ imprisonment for incitement and using threatening language. Continue reading...