Sierra Leone’s President signs arrest order for journalist Tam Bayoh

Sierra Leonean talk radio host, and journalist David Tam Bayoh was arrested in Freetown four days ago for comments he made on his show. The President of Sierra Leone signed an executive order that prompted his arrest. Tam Bayoh has not been charged, and is in ill health. This is not the first time that Tam Bayoh has been on the government’s wanted list. Earlier this year he was also arrested for comments he made about a car accident involving oldiers in the Armed Forces.

Amnesty International released this statement  on their website today:

Sierra Leonean journalist, David Tam Baryoh, has been detained since 3 November following an executive order signed by President Ernest Bai Korom. Under section 29 (17) (a) of the Constitution, he can remain in detention for an indefinite period of time under the state of emergency regulations. There have been no charges brought against him. Amnesty International believes he is a prisoner of conscience.

Prisoner of Conscience: is a person who who have been jailed because of their political, religious or other conscientiously-held beliefs, ethnic origin, sex, color, language, national or social origin, economic status, birth, sexual orientation or other status, provided that they have neither used nor advocated violence.

This is what a report from The Guardian says led to his arrest:

His popular weekly programme, Monologue, was taken off air mid-show last week as he interviewed an opposition party spokesman who criticised the president’s alleged intentions to run for a third term. During that show Baryoh also questioned arrests made in Kono, an eastern district put under curfew in October when a dispute between youths and police over a suspected case of Ebola degenerated into gunfire and rioting.