Criminalizing Dissent: How a Peaceful Protest Turns Ibrahim Sorie Shaw into a Fugitive

By Sheku Osman Swarray

In a country where voicing dissent increasingly feels like a criminal act, the events of June 21, 2023, stand as a chilling reminder of how far the Sierra Leonean state is willing to go to silence defiance. What begins as a peaceful call for electoral transparency by members of the All People’s Congress (APC) party quickly spirals into chaos-not because of the protestors, but because of the brutal crackdown by security forces. That day, scores of APC members gather at the party’s headquarters in Freetown, waving flags and chanting for free and fair elections. Among them is Ibrahim Sorie Shaw, a young political organizer whose history of confronting both political corruption and cultural orthodoxy has already put him at odds with the establishment. Shaw is not just a participant; he is a witness.

Armed with his phone, he records footage of armed police units firing live rounds, tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators, and beating unarmed civilians. Eyewitnesses confirm Shaw is seen helping the wounded while still filming the unfolding brutality. His documentation captures not just violence, but truth. And then-he vanishes. “For days, we didn’t know where he was. We feared the worst,” says Fatmata Bangura, a neighbor who watched Shaw being dragged from his home.

On July 8th 2023, that silence breaks. Dozens of police officers storm Shaw’s residence. He is beaten, publicly stripped, and detained at Pademba Road Prison, one of the country’s most notorious facilities, infamous for overcrowding and brutal torture. During that period, no arrest warrant is presented. No formal charges are filed. No due process is followed. Shaw is denied legal representation, in clear violation of both constitutional and international human rights standards. “When I went to the prison to ask about him, they told me nothing. Just that he was being held ‘for security reasons’,” says Sidi Yayah Tunis, the official spokesperson of the APC party.
When Shaw is finally released on conditional bail, it comes with sweeping restrictions aimed at silencing his voice: no rallies, no political meetings, no public statements. He is also placed under mandatory reporting at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a psychological and political leash. His rights are not restored, and his freedom is suspended.

Government officials offer no explanation. Repeated attempts by Hope Times Newspaper to obtain comment from the Sierra Leone Police are met with silence. In a nation that claims to uphold democratic values, the treatment of Ibrahim Shaw raises urgent and painful questions:

“When peaceful protest becomes a risk to one’s life, and truth-telling is branded as subversion, what future remains for civic engagement?” asks Augustine Marrah, a civil rights lawyer in Freetown. Shaw’s story is not isolated. It is a warning to every citizen. The government’s silence speaks volumes. And the message is clear: In Sierra Leone today, dissent is not tolerated, and the pursuit of liberty, freedom and justice is at stake.