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Let’s talk about Zainab Sheriff again. We’ve dedicated a couple of our editorials to her case and with the recent reports about her deteriorating health within the correctional services system, it is important that we revisit it. We’ll probably repeat everything we’ve said before, but in different words.
For starters, and to make a pointless point at this point, there are things Zainab could have said differently. There are things she probably should not have said at all. But acknowledging that does not require us to accept the harsh treatment and everything else she has endured.
She was arrested, repeatedly denied bail, tried, convicted and sentenced to about four years in prison for offences arising fundamentally from words spoken at a political rally. This is something Sierra Leoneans would call careless tok, and there’s a lot of that in our everyday language. As she appeals that conviction, another, more urgent question has emerged: her health.
Engage Salone understands from credible sources that Zainab Sheriff requires serious medical attention. We have taken steps to verify this information and have reason to believe that her condition requires a level of attention that may not be adequately available within the correctional system. Some sources even suggest she may need care not available in the country. The prison services authorities seem to be downplaying these reports, but Zainab’s supporters and family, as well as other members of the public, have come out to draw attention to the seriousness of her situation.
That should concern everyone, regardless of what they think of Zainab Sheriff, her politics or the words that landed her in jail. This is no longer about whether you love or loathe the model and artist turned political activist. It raises a more substantive question about what kind of State we want to live in.
From the beginning, we have struggled to understand why the State considered Zainab Sheriff’s words such a serious threat that necessitated prosecution and imprisonment. The remarks attributed to her were inflammatory. Her political party received a hefty fine from the regulator, PPRC. The State also had the option to show restraint and that magnanimity is something that the Government seems to struggle with. Nothing is allowed to slide (nack nor dae lef pan dem), regardless of how inconsequential it is or who said it. From the mentally ill, late Blacker to Zainab Sheriff and other political figures, the pattern has been similar. Bifo jako cut yai, CID don invite you. And with Zainab, they went all the way with the full force of State power and criminal law.
As we know worldwide, and have seen in this country too, Governments hear foolish, offensive, exaggerated and outrageous political speech all the time. Provocative songs get recorded and people in power get called all sorts of names. A confident Government does not prosecute every reckless utterance. The criminal law should be a last resort, particularly when political speech is involved. State behaviour that punishes the silliest utterances with such might can only come from a place of weakness and insecurity.
It is hard to see what the State is trying to achieve with all of this. Or maybe it’s just so clear that it becomes dazzling. If the goal was to show that violent rhetoric has consequences, that point has been overstated. You don’t need to bring the full weight of the law with years of imprisonment just to reemphasize this. As this matter continues to be discussed and with reports of Zainab’s health issues, the State risks producing something much more corrosive: bitterness. You do not arrest someone, keep them in custody throughout their trial, imprison them for years over careless tok and then look indifferent when serious concerns emerge regarding their health, without creating bitterness and resentment that goes way beyond the walls of the correctional service and lasts much longer than her incarceration. In our view, this is not a legacy anyone involved in this case should want attached to their name.
Zainab Sheriff, pictured here being escorted by security personnel during her recent court appearance in Freetown.
Zainab Sheriff, pictured here being escorted by security personnel during her recent court appearance in Freetown.
Whatever happens with Zainab Sheriff’s appeal, her imprisonment does not take away her right to adequate healthcare. While a prison sentence is a deprivation of freedom, it should not become a death sentence. If the correctional services system cannot provide the care and treatment that her condition requires, she should be given access to a facility that can. This should not even require a campaign.
Zainab Sheriff’s profile has drawn attention to her situation. Most incarcerated women do not have the same profile. Nobody knows about them. There are probably other incarcerated women who are struggling with health problems. As we speak about Zainab, we are also forced to imagine what happens to a poor woman without a big name, influential relatives, lawyers, journalists, activists or thousands of social media followers. Zainab’s case gives us an opportunity to look beyond Zainab. The correctional services authorities should provide greater transparency about healthcare in correctional facilities. Incarceration should not push people out of public concern.
Source: Engage Salone
