Sierra Leone ordered to pay 2 citizens $30,000 in damages for human rights violations
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has in a landmark ruling ordered the Sierra Leonean government to pay $15,000 in damages each to two citizens, Hassan Kargbo and Mohamed Fornah, for violating their rights to security.
A three-member panel, led by Honorable Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, found the Sierra Leonean police guilty of violating the right to security of the victims.
The panel also included Honorable Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara (judge-rapporteur) and Honorable Justice Edward Amoako Asante.
The events leading to this case occurred on July 17 and 18, 2020, when a youth demonstration in Makeni was violently suppressed by Sierra Leone law enforcement.
According to the applicants, the army and police used live ammunition and tear gas against the protesters, resulting in deaths and serious injuries among unarmed civilians. Several victims, including Foday Kargbo, Mohamed Sillah, and Alusine Sesay, lost their lives due to this crackdown.
The protests were triggered by the government's decision to relocate a power generator from Makeni to another region, which locals feared would lead to increased power outages.
Beyond the compensation, the court has mandated the government to conduct a thorough investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the violence.
Sierra Leone had its first ECOWAS ruling this year on February 28, when the court, presided over by Justice Edward Amoako Asante, ruled that the state had violated the rights of Mr Mohamed Morlu, who sustained gunshot wounds during a police crackdown on student demonstrators in March 2017.
The Regional Court ordered Sierra Leone to pay $25,000 in compensation to Morlu and cover the cost of any necessary surgery to remove the bullet still lodged in his abdomen.
