Amnesty Condemns Inquest
Head of Amnesty International (AI)-Sierra Leone, Brima Abdulai Sheriff has said in Freetown that the government should look back at the period dating as far back as 1961 if it should set up an inquest into the execution of former police chief, Bambay Kamara and 28 others.
In a statement, AI’s Director said if the government should carry out an investigation into “extra judicial executions,†that should be traced immediately after independence in order to present a true picture of such issues for a period of 49 years.
He said the country had witnessed a situation wherein different regimes including the NPRC carried out extra judicial executions which needed to be investigated. Mr. Sheriff noted that the inquest on the other hand was very important because it would help to address impunity in the country. He said “the TRC made several recommendations but did not stop the setting up of inquests and investigations.â€
“The inquest would only bring about dissatisfaction if it targeted a particular group of people,†he told a news conference in Freetown.
The opposition has described the inquest as a “witch hunt†and has vowed not to cooperate.
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Soko M.Kai-Samba
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I am very much in line with your brilliantly expressed views on the Inquest.We are not even certain that the so-called Inquest would include people like the Strasser-former head of the NPRC, Williams-current chief of staff, Idriss Kamara-current chair of APC in the Diaspora, Mondeh still serving the military et al. In fact the AFRC committed human rights abuses more than the NPRC. Why can’t they include the AFRC regime into the equation? As the opposition SLPP is saying this is only a ploy to scare away future potential politicians. I suggest we move ahead rather than attempting to “draw bush rope” Lonta!
18th June 2010Brima A. Sheriff
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This is to set the records straight. Amnesty International is still doing a lot of research to make a formal position. However, I did say that Amnesty as an organization opposes the death penalty and extra-judicial executions and that any attempt to investigate suck acts by any governmnet , including the Governmnet of Sierra Leone is always a move to end impunity and allow justice. I have also said that since Sierra Leone is becoming 50 years in 2011 it will be good to beging such inquest since independence. So it will be improper for any newspaper to carry a headline that says ‘Amnesty Condemns Inquest’. Brima A. Sheriff, Director Amnesty International, Sierra Leone.
17th June 2010