Overview of Human Rights in Sierra Leone

The Republic of Sierra Leone is a constitutional democracy. The human rights situation in Sierra Leone is extremely poor. Factors such as widespread poverty, years of government mismanagement, impunity, corruption, and an infrastructure ruined by years of civil war, all negatively affect the country's ability to improve its human rights record.

The government is corrupt. It restricts the freedoms of speech and press. It also uses the security forces to harass and abuse journalists and human rights defenders.

The judiciary is inefficient and corrupt. Prolonged detention, excessive bail, and insufficient legal representation are all violations committed in the judicial system. Prison conditions are poor and often life-threatening.

Human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and child abuse are other areas of concern in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone’s civil war ended in 2002, however, many abuses continued to be committed throughout the land. The Sierra Leone Army and Police for years have enjoyed impunity for crimes committed. Threat, extortion, arbitrary arrest and detention, rape, and excessive use of force are done without fear of reprisal.

In 2005, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) continued to make progress for bringing victims justice for the atrocities committed during the 11 year civil war. While there has been some criticism of the court and its performance, it is the only court of its kind operating in the land. Lack of funding, however, threatens the court’s ability to carry out its work.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

176th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.