FREETOWN, Sierra Leone—Dutch journalist Sophie van Leeuwen, a correspondent for RTL Nieuws, has revealed details of his arrest after he returned to the Netherlands. She was detained in Sierra Leone on suspicion of espionage.
Van Leeuwen was in the country to report on Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers and the region’s drug issues, with official permission from Sierra Leonean authorities.
Arrest and Interrogation
While en route to a location linked to Leijdekkers, van Leeuwen encountered a police roadblock. Upon presenting her Dutch passport, she was arrested.
“They confiscated everything: passport, phone, camera,” she recounted. “With a truck full of men with red berets, sunglasses, and guns, I was escorted through Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.”
Van Leeuwen was accompanied by local journalist Joseph Turay, who has since fled the country.
Over two days, van Leeuwen underwent approximately 15 hours of interrogation without breaks or food.
“They called me a ‘danger to national security’,” she said. “I was in the ‘wrong place’ and was suspected of espionage.” Despite the intense questioning, she noted that she was not physically abused.
Release and Departure
Following four days of detention, van Leeuwen was informed she could continue her work. However, her equipment and passport had been confiscated, rendering her unable to proceed. Upon their return, she discovered all her footage had been erased. “Sunday evening, I got my stuff back. It turned out they had erased all the images,” she stated. She promptly left Sierra Leone thereafter.
The Sierra Leone Police have not provided further comments on the incident. Van Leeuwen’s employer, RTL Nieuws, maintains that she had the necessary documentation for her reporting activities.
This event has raised concerns about press freedom and the treatment of foreign journalists in Sierra Leone.
