Condemnation of the Arrest and Detention of Lawyer Joy Precious Baryoh

The arrest and detention of Joy Precious Baryoh, a female lawyer, on June 18, 2024, for a critical comment on President Julius Maada Bio’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, is a blatant violation of free speech and democratic principles.

Baryoh’s comment, in which she suggested that both the government and the Sierra Leone Bar Association came to power through rigged elections, resulted in an excessive police response. A truckload of heavily armed officers stormed her office, arrested her, and detained her overnight at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). She was charged with cyberstalking and bullying under Sierra Leone’s cybersecurity law, a worrying sign of the increasing use of legal instruments to suppress dissent.

Thanks to the intervention of her lawyers, Madieu Sesay and Jocelyn Turay, Baryoh was released on bail the following day. In a statement after her release, she recounted her ordeal and reaffirmed her commitment to democratic principles.

We strongly condemn the intimidation and harassment of Joy Precious Baryoh and call on the Sierra Leonean government to uphold its citizens' rights to freedom of expression and dissent. The use of law enforcement to silence criticism sets a dangerous precedent for democracy and the rule of law in Sierra Leone.