Fifty Years After the Execution of Ibrahim Bash-Taqi: Some Things Remain Unchanged

In March 2023, a group of United States senators introduced the Transnational Repression Policy Act, which aims “to hold foreign governments and individuals accountable when they stalk, intimidate, or assault people across borders, including in the United States.”

Joseph Turay, the publisher of the Public Review newspaper, is still not safe from transnational repression committed by operatives of the Maada Bio administration. 

This week, Turay issued a press release denouncing Abdul Hassan Fackie's recent statements on the online television program Wi Yard, which aired on April 12, 2025.

Turay claims that Fackie's statements are false, including the assertion that Turay is not in hiding and that Fackie is currently in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with his vehicle returned by the police. 

Turay explains that, since his arrest on February 13, 2025, alongside Dutch journalist Sophie Van Leeuwen, he has been forced into hiding due to threats to his life and safety.

Since that date, he has not been in Sierra Leone and has not granted any interviews to journalists within or outside the country.

Furthermore, Turay asserts that Fackie’s claim of press freedom in Sierra Leone, along with the statement that no journalist has ever been harassed or arrested, is a blatant lie.

The arrest of both Sophie Van Leeuwen and himself is a clear example of the ongoing suppression of press freedom in the country.

Their detentions are part of a broader crackdown on independent media and journalists investigating corruption and illicit activities, including the involvement of Dutch drug lord Johannes Leijdekkers in Sierra Leone.

Turay argues that Fackie's remarks are not only false but also serve as a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth and undermine the efforts of independent journalists exposing corruption and criminal activities in Sierra Leone.

He believes Fackie's statements protect the interests of the government and associates. Sophie Van Leeuwen is a former political correspondent in the Netherlands and a former EU correspondent in Brussels.

“People who criticize authoritarian regimes, whether they are professional journalists or ordinary citizens, are often singled out for harassment and even violence,”  a Freedom House research director for strategy and design said in 2022. 

Freedom House recommended several steps that host governments, civil society organizations, and technology companies can take to protect exiles and diasporas, increase accountability for abuses, and constrain authoritarian states' ability to commit transnational repression.

Fifty years ago, the body of Ibrahim Bash Taqi (1934-1975) was displayed outside Pademba Road Prison.

Before his execution, Bash-Taqi published a newspaper called We Yone. 

When the All People's Congress (APC) came to power under Siaka Probyn Stevens, Bash-Taqi was appointed Minister of Information. Despite this position, he was critical of the APC's shift towards a one-party system, which he disapproved of.

His dissent led to a fallout with Stevens, and he was relieved of his duties. Bash-Taqi was known for being outspoken in Parliament, representing his East I constituency.

He continued to oppose Stevens's plans for a one-party state, which prompted the president to label him an "enemy of the state."

Specially assigned detectives followed him throughout the country, and his Briska 4-wheel van No. 1224 faced constant harassment at checkpoints whenever he traveled.

While Stevens was abroad, C.A. Kamara Taylor served as acting vice president. One night, an explosion occurred at Kamara-Taylor's residence on Spur Road, echoing throughout the capital.

Bash Taqi was at home with his family in the east end of Freetown. He reportedly told his family that if the blast was related to a coup, he would be the first to be arrested.

The following morning, Bash-Taqi was taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for interrogation but never returned home.

Reports surfaced claiming there was an attempted coup against the APC government, implicating Bash-Taqi, Dr. Sorie Fornah, and 13 others.

Upon returning from abroad, Stevens initiated a treason trial. The trial concluded swiftly, and all the accused were found guilty of treason.

On the morning of July 19, 1975, the weather was somber as their bodies were displayed outside Pademba Road Prison.