Fears are mounting over the psychological and bodily well being of a social media influencer who has been in jail in Sierra Leone for greater than a month after she was arrested on dwell tv.
Hawa Hunt, a twin Canadian and Sierra Leonean citizen, was arrested on 22 December whereas starring in Home of Stars, a actuality TV present, for feedback she made on social media in regards to the president of Sierra Leone and the primary girl in Might 2023.
In a 25-minute video, Hunt, a 42-year-old health and wellbeing influencer who has greater than 100,000 followers throughout Fb, TikTok and Instagram, criticised Julius and Fatima Maada Bio.
She faces two counts of “transmitting insulting messages by way of a pc system” in accordance with the Cybersecurity and Crime Act 2021. Prosecutors declare the video incited public dysfunction and broken the popularity of the president and his spouse.
A number of requests for bail for Hunt, a single mom of three kids, have been refused. On 28 December, she appeared in a video apologising to the president and first girl and mentioned she was being handled properly and that the police had dealt with every little thing professionally.
Nevertheless, her daughter and human rights activists imagine this was a compelled confession and that she could also be going through bodily abuse whereas being held in Pademba Highway jail in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital.
Alicia Hunt, 20, who lives in Calgary in Canada, mentioned she had been allowed to talk to her mom solely whereas jail guards had been current.
Hunt advised her there have been bedbug infestations and a mosquito drawback and that she was given restricted meals – a chunk of buttered bread within the morning and half a cup of rice with a small portion of fish within the night. Alicia mentioned: “My mom mentioned all of the meals there makes everybody sick. Folks would slightly starve than eat it.”
She added: “I whispered to her one time on the decision, ‘Are you being abused in any method?’ And she or he mentioned, ‘Oh yeah, we’re often hit in right here, however that’s simply Africa, that’s how they do issues.’ There needs to be no purpose why they’re laying arms on my mom or anybody.”
Alicia believes her mom’s arrest is politically motivated. She mentioned her mom and Fatima Maada Bio went to highschool collectively and had engaged on-line earlier than. “I do assume it was deliberate, this arrest,” she mentioned. “As soon as they heard she was going to be on Home of Stars, I believe they noticed it as a chance to [arrest her] dwell on a nationally identified present to make an instance of her and incite concern in folks talking out in regards to the authorities.”
Amnesty Worldwide has referred to as for the discharge of Hunt and for ensures to a good trial. It has raised considerations in regards to the legislation used to prosecute her.
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Michèle Eken, a senior researcher at Amnesty Worldwide’s west and central Africa workplace, mentioned: “Amnesty Worldwide has already expressed its concern in regards to the legislation used to prosecute Hawa Hunt … A number of instances of doable violations of the precise to freedom of expression below the Cybersecurity and Crime Act have beforehand been reported.”
Alimatu Dimonekene, an advocate for girls and ladies’ rights, mentioned the federal government’s use of the legislation to detain folks for talking out was “worrying when it comes to its affect” and was “setting a mistaken precedent”.
“Individuals are holding again what they wish to say within the media and I believe that’s a horrible place to be in as a result of we have now to carry governments and people accountable in the case of issues like excessive violence and abuse,” she mentioned.
Mohamed Bobson Senu, deputy head of media for Sierra Leone police, mentioned he couldn’t touch upon any ongoing case. “That matter is in court docket,” he mentioned.
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