On Friday 22nd June 2018, an international team of legal practitioners filed nine cases in the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, seeking redress for violations of human rights and of the Constitution of Sierra Leone by largely Nigerian troops. The case is against the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for crimes committed during the 11-year civil war by foreign troops.
Karim A.A. Khan, from the United Kingdom and Shyamala Alagendra of Malaysia have assembled a team of local lawyers to represent victims who were murdered, raped, arbitrarily detained, tortured and cruelly treated, during the war in Sierra Leone.
According to the lead counsel for the victims, Karim A.A. Khan, they have been investigating the cases for a while. They felt the need to do something for the victims that have suffered so much blatant abuses through the 1998 and 1999 civil war, by Nigerian troops under the Command of the then Chief of Sierra Leone Army, Maxwell Khobe.
Khan said, “Out of the nine cases filed, five include video evidence obtained from Sorious Samura, director and producer of the film, ‘Cry Freetown’. In addition to the video evidence, we have conducted our own investigation and have found families of deceased and other witnesses. We have put evidence together and we think we have a compelling case.”
He maintained that the file before the Supreme Court, under Article 28 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, mandated the Supreme Court to adjudicate allegations of fundamental breaches of the 1991 Constitution.
Khan said their claim is in three broad categories: 1. Those that were executed in cold blood; 2. Those that were tortured; and 3. Those that were raped. He emphasized that they are seeking compensation and justice for victims.
Khan said during the aftermath of the war, military officers from various countries came into Sierra Leone. Instead of providing protection, some military personnel were violating rights of citizens. “Nobody… the courts, nor lawyers, have taken proper steps to seek redress for these people. That is why we came forward,” he said. He urged the Court to look into such violations impartially and dispassionately.
According to one of the Sierra Leonean lawyers, Ibrahim Yillah, the victims are Sierra Leoneans and suffered atrocities. He said the Supreme Court should provide a remedy for this issue.
Sorious Samura, an investigative journalist who produced the “Cry Freetown” film, said, he is willing to come forward and testify when the hearing starts. Samura said, “I refused when Charles Taylor came calling and when the Special Court came calling. But, I deemed it necessary to come forward in this because of the humiliations and victimizations poor and innocent people had to suffer.” He added that those people that where brutalised during the war must get justice.
MJB/23/6/18
By Mohamed J. Bah
Monday June 25, 2018.
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