Civic Space Under Pressure as Abdul Fatoma Calls for Protection of Critical Voices
Human rights advocate Abdul Fatoma says restrictions faced by civil society groups seeking to demonstrate peacefully raise questions about Sierra Leone’s commitment to protecting constitutional freedoms.
Fatoma, chief executive of the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International, made the remarks Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, during an interview with Truth Media.
He said CHRDI had encountered difficulties while attempting to organise a peaceful protest linked to the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
According to Fatoma, police cited concerns relating to security and public order when restricting the planned demonstration. He said he attended two meetings with police officials and challenged them to explain the basis for the restrictions.
Fatoma said the organisers were prepared to take responsibility for their conduct and maintain a peaceful demonstration but were nevertheless prevented from proceeding as planned.
He argued that peaceful assembly should not be limited to election periods, saying citizens should be able to publicly express concerns about government policies and decisions through lawful means.
Fatoma also raised concerns about the efficiency of the justice system, claiming that some cases have remained unresolved for many years.
He said CHRDI had written to the chief justice about cases it considered excessively delayed but claimed that the organisation had yet to see the desired progress.
Fatoma attributed some of the delays to what he described as limited judicial capacity and staffing constraints. Those specific claims, including his figures on judges and the duration of individual cases, were not independently verified for this report.
He further questioned the level of transparency surrounding national security and defence spending, calling for stronger accountability in the management of public funds.
Fatoma’s comments are consistent with his organization’s longstanding advocacy for peaceful assembly and institutional accountability. Previous monitoring reports have documented CHRDI’s criticism of police action during protests and Fatoma’s position that peaceful protest is a fundamental civil liberty.
Fatoma has also recently raised broader concerns about the strength of Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions. In September, he told AYV’s Wake Up Sierra Leone that constitutional rights were not being adequately protected in practice.
His latest remarks place peaceful assembly, access to justice and institutional accountability at the centre of his assessment of Sierra Leone’s civic space.