On Tuesday, 11th March 2025, the Parliament of Sierra Leone passed the National Counter-Terrorism Act 2025 which is currently awaiting the President’s signature. This Act aims to contribute to global efforts to combat terrorism. However, many critics argue that once this bill is signed into law, it is prone to be weaponised to further clamp down on dissent and shrink the enabling environment for civil society organizations (CSOs) and journalists operating in the country.
Local and international activists, rights organizations, and press freedom groups, including the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Legal Link, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have expressed concerns about the Act. The CPJ highlights that certain sections of the bill make it a criminal offense to share information that the sender either knows to be false or has reasonable grounds to suspect is false, and that violations of these sections are punishable by life imprisonment and 15 years in prison.
The bill grants authorities broad powers to request and obtain information from any person or authority whenever they deem it necessary. There are other issues, such the definition of terrorist acts, criminalising information dissemination, and harsh penalties and lack of safeguards that remain very contentious. These clauses pose risks to journalists covering protests and civil actions.
Civil society has called on President Bio not to sign the Bill into law, fearing it will harm civic and political freedoms. This concern is compounded by the already present Cybercrime Law 2021 and the Public Order Act of 1965.