By: Mamajah Jalloh
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has called for justice, accountability and an end to impunity for crimes against journalists, urging the Government and relevant institutions to take concrete action to protect media practitioners from violence, intimidation, harassment and unlawful attacks.
The call was made on Monday, November 2, 2026, as SLAJ joined the global media community to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, reaffirming its commitment to press freedom and journalists’ safety.
This year’s global campaign theme, “Threats Evolve. Impunity Endures,” highlights the growing threats facing journalists and the persistent failure to bring perpetrators of attacks against media workers to justice.
According to UNESCO, 189 journalists were killed in violent attacks in 2024 and 2025, while 86 per cent of journalist killings recorded since 2006 remain unresolved or abandoned. SLAJ said these figures demonstrate the scale of the accountability crisis confronting journalists worldwide.
The association noted that attacks against journalists extend beyond individual victims, undermining the free flow of information, weakening democratic accountability and depriving citizens of their right to make informed decisions.
“When journalists are threatened, assaulted, arbitrarily detained, intimidated or attacked because of their work, the consequences extend beyond the individual practitioner,” SLAJ stated.
SLAJ also aligned itself with a joint statement issued by the African Union Commission and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), which called on African governments to strengthen national mechanisms for journalists’ safety, investigate attacks, prosecute perpetrators and ensure that laws are not used to intimidate journalists or obstruct legitimate reporting.
The joint statement further highlighted the particular risks faced by women journalists and the growing threats associated with digital technologies.
Reflecting on Sierra Leone’s progress in advancing media freedom, SLAJ acknowledged the 2020 repeal of criminal and seditious libel provisions in the 1965 Public Order Act, describing the reform as a significant achievement for the country’s democracy.
Another milestone was reached on November 2, 2020, when SLAJ and the country’s security sector signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Office of National Security (ONS), establishing a framework for cooperation between journalists and security institutions.
Six years after the agreement was signed, SLAJ said it remained committed to ensuring that the MoU achieves its intended objectives. The association disclosed that it was currently engaging relevant security authorities to review the agreement, assess its implementation and strengthen cooperation in response to the changing media and security environment.
However, SLAJ cautioned that the gains made in advancing media freedom must not be taken for granted but consolidated through effective law enforcement, judicial accountability and stronger legal safeguards.
The association also expressed concern over reported incidents of threats, intimidation and harassment against media practitioners, particularly the increasing use of digital platforms to target journalists, spread gender-based abuse, circulate manipulated content and issue threats.
SLAJ specifically called for a review of provisions in the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021, to ensure that they do not unduly restrict freedom of expression or expose journalists to legal action for legitimate public-interest reporting.
In addition, the association said it was intensifying its campaign for the inclusion of a dedicated Chapter 12 on Mass Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Sierra Leone’s proposed new Constitution. It described the recent stakeholder validation of the proposed chapter as an important step towards strengthening constitutional protection for media freedom.
SLAJ maintained that the proposed reforms were necessary to consolidate the progress achieved in 2020 and prevent the replacement of one form of legal pressure against journalists with another.
The association issued eight specific calls to action directed at the Government of Sierra Leone, Parliament, the Sierra Leone Police, the Judiciary, the Office of National Security, media owners, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
These include the prompt, impartial and professional investigation of all reported attacks against journalists; the prosecution of perpetrators, including those who plan, order, finance or facilitate such attacks; and the advancement of constitutional protection for press freedom through the proposed Chapter 12.
Other demands include reviewing restrictive provisions of the Cyber Security and Crime Act, protecting journalists covering elections, protests and other sensitive events, addressing digital threats and violence against women journalists, strengthening national safety mechanisms and security-sector cooperation, and promoting newsroom safety, professional standards and decent working conditions.
SLAJ President, Alhaji Manika Kamara, urged national leaders and institutions to move beyond expressions of concern and demonstrate measurable commitment to ending impunity for crimes against journalists.
“Journalists must not have to choose between telling the truth and protecting their safety. When a journalist is attacked for doing their job and those responsible are allowed to walk free, it sends a dangerous message that anyone seeking to silence the truth can act without consequences,” Kamara said.
He further warned that impunity encourages more attacks, intimidates journalists into silence and denies citizens access to the information they need to hold those in authority accountable.
Kamara also called on stakeholders in the constitutional reform process to support the proposed Chapter 12, while urging Parliament to urgently review problematic provisions of the Cyber Security and Crime Act.
“Our commitment must be clear: journalism is not a crime, asking difficult questions is not an offence, and exposing wrongdoing must never put a journalist’s safety at risk,” he stated.
SLAJ reaffirmed its commitment to defending press freedom, promoting journalists’ safety, strengthening professional standards and working with national, regional and international partners to end impunity for crimes against journalists and other media workers.
“There can be no genuine press freedom without journalist safety, no journalist safety without accountability, and no accountability where perpetrators are allowed to act with impunity,” the association concluded.
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) is the country’s leading media advocacy body, representing journalists across print, broadcast and digital platforms.