Authorities in Sierra Leone released Hawa Hunt, a social media influencer, after nearly three months of arbitrary detention for criticising President Bio and First Lady Fatima Bio. Her release on March 4, 2025, followed pressure from international media, rights groups like Amnesty International, her family, and local CSOs including Lawyers Society and Legal Link, who represented her in her court cases. The case drew significant attention, leading to the resignation of David Pratt, a long-time Honorary Canadian Consul to Sierra Leone, in protest of her detention and ill-treatment.
The case was discharged on 4 March 2025 by Appeal Court Judge Tonia Barnett after the prosecution withdrew all charges, without explanation. This decision came shortly after First Lady Fatima Bio publicly requested Hawa’s release in a recorded video. The incident has raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary and whether the influence of high-ranking officials outweighs the due process of law. Hawa Hunt has not been acquitted of the charges, they have just been withdrawn without explanation. The Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021 and the Public Order Act, 1965 to target government critics can still be enforced against her or others.