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Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs Dr. Isata Mahoi says detained activist Zainab Sheriff is unwell but not in the critical condition being portrayed in some reports on social media.
Speaking to Truth Media, Mahoi said she recently visited Sheriff at the female correctional facility, where they discussed her health and other concerns.
According to the minister, Sheriff told her that she wants assistance to travel to Türkiye for medical treatment, as she does not wish to receive treatment at Choithram Hospital.
Mahoi said the visit formed part of broader efforts to advocate for female inmates whose cases may warrant further consideration. She said she was accompanied by members of the Fifty-Fifty Group, a gender adviser to the President and the Deputy Director General, with whom they held discussions with Sheriff.
The minister also said Sheriff apologised for the utterances that led to her imprisonment. Mahoi said her office would continue to advocate for Sheriff but stressed that she does not have the final authority to determine her case.
Mahoi used the visit to highlight what she described as broader concerns within the correctional system, particularly cases involving women and children.
She cited the case of a 12-year-old girl who, according to Mahoi, was imprisoned following circumstances surrounding her marriage to a man who already had a wife. The minister further alleged that the girl later disposed of the man’s child in a borehole following a dispute.
Mahoi argued that the girl should not have been married at such a young age, maintaining that her rights had been violated before she was subsequently sent to prison.
The minister further claimed that some people remain incarcerated over cases involving relatively small sums of money, including matters where fines are reportedly as low as 500 leones.
She said the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs is working with the justice sector to review such cases and explore possible solutions for people who may have been wrongly or unnecessarily imprisoned.
Mahoi’s comments come amid public concern over Sheriff’s health and calls for assistance with her medical treatment. However, the minister maintained that Sheriff is not in the critical condition described in some reports and confirmed that she is seeking medical treatment in Türkiye.
