Freetown, Sierra Leone — In a move highlighting ongoing tensions within Sierra Leone’s political landscape, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the Mayor of Freetown and a prominent member of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, visited activist and singer Zainab Sheriff in prison earlier this week.
During the visit, the two women discussed faith, family, the unique challenges faced by women in public life, and their shared love for Sierra Leone.
Reflecting on Sheriff’s four-year prison sentence, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr expressed deep concern over what she described as the “inconsistent application of the law.”
“I visited #ZainabSheriff in prison earlier this week,” Aki-Sawyerr stated. “We spoke about faith, family, the unique challenges faced by women and our mutual love for Sierra Leone. Reflecting on her four-year prison sentence, I am once again struck by the #inconsistent application of the law.”
Background on the Case
Zainab Sheriff, a well-known singer, model, reality-TV personality, and emerging opposition political figure (associated with the “Wi Duti” civic movement and previously an APC flagbearer aspirant), was sentenced on April 14, 2026, to four years and two months in prison. She was convicted on two counts: incitement and using threatening language under the Public Order Act of 1965. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively.
Sheriff was arrested in February 2026 following remarks she made at an opposition rally criticizing alleged irregularities in the 2023 elections. She pleaded not guilty, was repeatedly denied bail, and is currently held at a maximum-security prison in Freetown (Pademba Road Female Correctional Centre).
The case has drawn significant criticism from activists, lawyers, and opposition voices, who view it as part of a broader crackdown on free speech and political dissent under President Julius Maada Bio’s government. Organizations like AdvocAid have highlighted concerns over the severity of the sentence compared to similar cases, and international observers have noted it as emblematic of shrinking civic space.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr has publicly argued that Sheriff’s statements were not substantially different from remarks made by senior government figures or members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), for which lesser penalties (such as fines) have often sufficed. She described the imprisonment as potentially intended to intimidate critics and suppress dissent.
Sheriff’s high-profile case has sparked calls for clemency or release from various quarters, including gender activists and human rights groups, who emphasize the selective nature of justice and the particular vulnerabilities of women in Sierra Leonean politics.
