CONFIDENTIAL
SIERRA LEONE
Report by British High Commission, Freetown
Right No.
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(i) There are at present no political
prisoners in Sierra Leone. cases of crisis, however eg during the 1973 Elections and after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the Prime Minister in 1974 - the Public Emergency Regulations were invoked in order to prevent anyone acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety, and a number of people were detained pending investigation, but were released after a short time. They may under these Regulations be detained at the President's pleasure.
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(v)
There is no torture in Sierra Leone. But, in African fashion, the Police have been known to give criminal suspects a good hiding to obtain in- formation.
There is no slavery in Sierra Leone. But the curious African custom persists in some remote areas whereby a family heavily in debt will lend out a child to their creditor in return for work for that person and some sort of education by him. The child is never sold.
Censorship per se does not exist. Journalists, both foreign and local, however, if telexing stories abroad must have them approved by the Ministry of Information before transmission. Local editors practise self-censorship out of a sense of self-preservation.
There is no interference by Government with the Judiciary, which has a high record of integrity.
CONFIDENTIAL
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