International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

 


On this International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, Sierra Leoneans have a right to know the truth about the human rights violations inflicted upon Sorieba. 


On November 26, 2023, he was tortured by the militia loyal to Maada Bio. A few years before his extrajudicial killing, Sorieba was forced to retire from the police force when Bio assumed office in 2018. Watch here. 


Maada Bio has employed torture and extrajudicial killings to silence dissent, evade accountability, and manipulate the government of Sierra Leone to attack opponents of his administration and its unlawful actions. 


Meanwhile, today’s headline in one of Europe’s most respected newspapers, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, focuses on the relationship between the President of Sierra Leone and cocaine drug lord Jos Leijdekkers. 


The article carries the headline "Fat Joe and His Friend, The President," portraying Julius Maada Bio as a close associate of the drug lord. 


The report claims that the president’s daughter, Agnes Bio, is engaged to Jos Leijdekkers and is carrying his child. 


Observers note that this story is creating ripples in the diplomatic community, with the newspaper suggesting that additional incriminating videos may exist. 


Maada Bio has a history of seeking revenge against perceived enemies and those who defy the law. 


Since staging a coup as a renegade soldier, he has pushed every boundary, abused every power, and exploited every loophole to silence dissent and punish those who disagree with him. 


His tactics in the drug lord and daughter scandal seem designed to enforce compliance through fear, force, and censorship. 


Maada's appointees appear to believe that bribery and blackmail are acceptable methods of conducting their operations. In summary, Sierra Leone is currently under the grip of an authoritarian dictatorship.


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