The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled that the Government of Sierra Leone must compensate two individuals with $15,000 each for violations of their right to security during a police crackdown on protests in Makeni in July 2020.

The court, in its judgment delivered on November 14, 2024, found that the Sierra Leonean police used excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, violating the rights of applicants Hassan Kargbo and Mohamed Fornah.

The court, presided over by Honorable Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, with Justices Gberi-Bè Ouattara and Edward Amoako Asante, determined that Sierra Leone was responsible for breaching the applicants’ right to personal security.

It also called on the State to take action to prevent such occurrences in the future, urging the government to implement safeguards against the excessive use of force in peaceful demonstrations.

Additionally, the court ordered that an investigation be conducted to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the violence.

This case stems from a violent suppression of protests in Makeni on July 17-18, 2020, when Sierra Leone’s police and military forces used live ammunition and tear gas against unarmed civilians.

The violent crackdown resulted in fatalities and serious injuries, including the deaths of several demonstrators, though the claimants failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their allegations of death and kinship regarding other victims.

The Court, however, did not find that the State violated the applicants’ right to life, as they were still alive, nor did it recognize their right to an effective remedy.

This ruling marks the second time in 2024 that the ECOWAS Court has ruled against Sierra Leone for police brutality during demonstrations.

Earlier in February 2024, the court ordered the government to compensate Mohamed Morlu, a victim of a 2017 police crackdown on student protests, awarding him $25,000 in compensation and further medical expenses.

Human rights organizations, including the Media Foundation for West Africa, have welcomed the ruling, calling it an important step in ensuring state accountability for human rights violations.

The Foundation urged the Sierra Leonean government to comply with the court’s decision and ensure that those responsible for the Makeni violence are held accountable.

In light of these repeated violations of human rights during protests, the court recommended that Sierra Leone invest in proper crowd control training for its law enforcement officers to respect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and prevent further abuses.