Freetown, Sierra Leone, 24th June 2025: Pan-African non-profit organisation Paradigm Initiative (PIN), in collaboration with the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) and 36 media professionals from across Sierra Leone, have issued a joint communiqué calling on the Government to urgently safeguard press freedom, digital rights, and freedom of expression amid the country’s fast-evolving digital landscape.

During a Digital Rights Academy organised by PIN in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on June 23rd, 2025, the organisation and dozens of media professionals emphasised the need for legal and policy reforms that protect media practitioners both online and offline, especially in the face of rising online harassment, surveillance, and censorship threats.

Recognising press freedom and the respect of digital rights as a cornerstone of democracy, they underscored the role of digital platforms as essential tools for journalists to inform the public. They further expressed growing concerns over escalating online harassment and intimidation, particularly targeting women journalists; Gaps in data protection and digital security for media professionals and their sources; Emerging laws and policies that risk curtailing freedom of expression under the guise of cybersecurity or misinformation control; and A lack of sufficient safeguards in online content regulation and moderation frameworks.

While welcoming Sierra Leone’s efforts to expand access to information and promote ICT growth, the joint call warned against regression through vaguely worded laws or unchecked digital surveillance practices. It also laid out key recommendations, urging the government to:

• Guarantee press freedom in both online and offline spaces in line with national, regional, and international human rights frameworks;

• Ensure proactive disclosure of public information in accordance with the Right to Access Information Act (2013);

• Enact a robust data protection law aligned with the African Union’s Malabo Convention, with protections for journalists;

• Review and amend restrictive laws, including Section 44 of the Cybersecurity and Crime Act (2021) and for the President to refuse assent to the pending Counter Terrorism Bill (2024);

• Include journalists and civil society in digital policy consultations to ensure inclusive and rights-respecting regulation.

• Investigate all threats and attacks against journalists and protecting them from digital surveillance and harassment;

• Support digital security training and ensuring access to secure communications tools for media workers;

• Guarantee uninterrupted internet access and social media availability during elections and protests.

The signatories reaffirmed their dedication to ethical, independent, and public-interest journalism and called on the Government to work collaboratively with the media sector and civil society to build a rights-respecting digital environment that enables journalism to thrive.

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