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A Sierra Leonean women’s rights organization has issued a public appeal for the release of Zainab Sheriff, a woman who has been in custody since February 20, urging judicial authorities to grant her bail.
Legal Access Through Women Yearning for Equality Rights and Social Justice (L.A.W.Y.E.R.S) expressed concern in a statement Thursday over what it described as Sheriff’s continued detention without bail. She was first held at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sierra Leone Police and is currently at the Female Correctional Centre at the Special Court of Sierra Leone.
“The refusal to grant Ms. Sheriff bail and her continued detention raises serious concerns about proportionality, fairness and the protection of constitutional rights,” the organization said.
The appeal comes as the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day 2026 and the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This year’s theme, “Rights, Justice and Action for all Women and Girls,” calls on governments and institutions to ensure women can live safely and equally under the law.
L.A.W.Y.E.R.S called on judicial authorities to review the decision denying bail, taking into account the provisions of the Bail Regulations 2018, and to ensure Sheriff’s constitutional rights are fully respected.
“Our call is not intended to interfere with the judicial process, but to reaffirm the importance of due process and equal justice under the law,” the statement said.
The organization urged that pretrial detention remain an exceptional measure rather than the norm, and that Sheriff be granted bail pending the determination of her case.
