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The High Court of Sierra Leone has officially dismissed a high-profile defamation lawsuit filed by Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden against the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) and its senior officials.
In its ruling on Thursday, the Court declared that it “lacks jurisdiction” to hear the matter, citing the protections outlined in the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, No. 35 of 1961.
The dismissal brings a swift halt to the domestic legal proceedings initiated by the prominent politician and media proprietor. The lawsuit, filed in the General Civil Division (Case No. CC: 176/2023), explicitly targeted Chief Observer Evin Incir (1st Defendant), Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase (2nd Defendant), Social Media Analyst Lukasz Wilda-Domaradzki (3rd Defendant), Legal Analyst Sylvian Ollier (4th Defendant), and the EU-EOM as an entity (5th Defendant).
The judge determined that the European Union observers are shielded from local civil litigation under international diplomatic protocols domesticated by Sierra Leonean law. The Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act of 1961 grants immunity from local civil and criminal jurisdiction to recognized international organizations and their diplomatic agents while executing official duties within the country.
Dr. Blyden acting as a plaintiff-in-person filed the Writ of Summons on October 16, 2023. The grievance stemmed from her mention in the EU-EOM’s final observation report regarding Sierra Leone’s disputed June 24, 2023, general elections. Blyden alleged that the mission’s publications were “malicious and defamatory” and severely damaged her reputation.
At the time the suit was filed, Blyden publicly emphasized that the EU-EOM report contained a disclaimer stating its contents reflected the personal views of the observers, not the official stance of the European Union. Because of this, she expressed hope that neither the Sierra Leonean Government nor the EU Mission would invoke “Diplomatic Immunity” to block the lawsuit.
Despite her arguments, the High Court ultimately found that the defendants’ statutory and diplomatic protections stand, nullifying the Freetown court’s legal authority to preside over the dispute.
Dr. Blyden had previously indicated that the filing of the Writ of Summons was “just the beginning” and expressed intentions to approach the European Court of Human Rights in France to fight for the restoration of her reputation.
As of press time, Dr. Blyden has not yet issued a statement regarding the High Court’s dismissal of the local proceedings.
