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The United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor has released its 2022 report on human rights practices in Sierra Leone.
The annual country reports on human rights practices – the Human Rights Report – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements.
In the 2022 report, the government of Sierra Leone or its agents were indicted for committing arbitrary or unlawful killings, amongst other human rights violations.
A summary of the report reads, “Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by government or on behalf of government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly; serious government corruption; lack of investigation of and accountability for gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child, early, and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation/cutting; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons; and laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although the laws were not enforced.”
According to report, the government took some steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed abuses or engaged in corruption, but impunity persisted.
The report added that although the constitution and law of Sierra Leone prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of arrest or detention in court, the government generally did not observe these requirements.
In addition, the report confirmed that there were numerous reports of government corruption. A full version of the report can be downloaded HERE.
