Sierra Leone
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Murder, aggravated robbery and treason are capital crimes
- News items in the archive
- 104
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Sierra Leone is classified as Abolitionist de facto in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 104 news items on Sierra Leone, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- OCTOBER 9, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE FORMALLY ABOLISHES ‘INHUMANE’ DEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone on 8 October 2021 formally abolished the death penalty, becoming the 23rd African country to repeal capital punishment.
- SEPTEMBER 6, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE: DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED
Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty on 23 July 2021, becoming the latest African country to move toward banning capital punishment.
JULY 21, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: PARLIAMENT DEBATES BILL TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone Telegraph on 20 July 2021 reported that MPs last week debated new laws that will abolish the death penalty.
MAY 13, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: GOVERNMENT MOVES TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone's government will move to abolish the death penalty in the West African state, deputy justice minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma said on 12 May 2021.
MAY 10, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: YOUNG MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH AMID DEBATE TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s High Court Resident Judge in the Kailahun District of the country – Justice Francis Banks-Kamara, on 7 May 2021 sentenced a young man – Kholie Tamba to death by hanging, after he was found guilty of murder.
- MAY 6, 2021Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE MAY SOON ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
The President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Eddinia Michaela Swallow, last week took part in a roundtable discussion on the abolition of the death penalty in Sierra Leone.
APRIL 30, 2020Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 5 MOB CLIQUE MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Sierra Leone High Court Justice Monfred Sesay on 22 April 2020 sentenced five members of a clique group named Members of Blood (MoB) also known as the Red Flag Movement, to death by hanging.
MARCH 12, 2020Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH AND ONE FOR 40 YEARS AS PORT LOKO APPLAUDS THE CHIEF JUSTICE
The Criminal Session of the High Court of Sierra Leone held in Port Loko presided by the Justice Samuel O. Taylor has sentenced three convicted persons to death by hanging and one given 40 years imprisonment, theorganiser.net reported on 9 March 2020.
- JANUARY 1, 2020Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
NOVEMBER 20, 2019Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 18-YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
At the Siaka Stevens Street High Court in Freetown on 14 November 2019, 18-year-old Osman Kamara was sentenced to death by hanging after the Jury found him guilty of murder.
JANUARY 22, 2019Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 45 INMATES CONDEMNED TO DEATH
During the official close of the November 2018 criminal session at the High Court of Sierra Leone, on 18 January 2019, superintendent Jonathan Wilson of the Correctional Service noted that there are presently 45 condemned inmates on death row at the Corre
- JANUARY 1, 2019Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- JANUARY 1, 2018Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- NOVEMBER 29, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Two sentenced to death for killing OSD Officer
29th November, 2017: the High Court of Sierra Leone presided over by Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay, sentenced two men to death by hanging, after convicting them on conspiracy and murder.
- NOVEMBER 27, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Govt. rejects CRC recommendation to abolish death penalty
27 November 2017: in the newly released White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) Report, the government indicated that it will retain the death penalty in Section 16 (1) of the 1991 Constitution.
NOVEMBER 14, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH BY FIRING
The High Court of Sierra Leone in Moyamba convicted 2 Armed Robbers for the offences of Conspiracy, Robbery with Aggravation and Wounding with intent.
OCTOBER 6, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYSIERRA LEONE: 6 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CONSPIRACY AND ROBBERY
With the help of jurors, Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay at the Bo High Court convicted and sentenced to death six armed robbers for Conspiracy and Robbery with Aggravation.
- OCTOBER 3, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone High Court sentences nursing mother to death by hanging
3 October 2017: the convict , Yatta Bakarr was charged with one count of Murder, after she was committed by a Magistrate court in Pujehun and was arrainged before the High Court Holden at Bo during its Special Criminal Session.
- JANUARY 1, 2017Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2016Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE TO REINTRODUCE DEATH PENALTY AS VIOLENT CRIMES SPIKE
Sierra Leone's Minister of Internal Affairs has said the government would start implementing the death penalty to crack down on recent increase in gang-related killings in the country.
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2016Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE: DEATH SENTENCE FOR LAC & G-FAG
Baimba Moi Foray (alias LA Chocolate) and Foday Amara Kamara (alias G-Fag) were sentenced to death
- JANUARY 1, 2016Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- JANUARY 1, 2015Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- MAY 21, 2014Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
the Presiding Judge of the Port Loko High Court Justice John Bosco Allieu handed down the death
the Presiding Judge of the Port Loko High Court Justice John Bosco Allieu handed down the death
- MAY 2, 2014Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Franklyn Bai Kargbo, told the United Nations Committee
- FEBRUARY 24, 2014Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
three men, Mohamed Mansaray, Ibrahim Fofanah ALIAS Lecturer, Osman Bangura were sentenced to
three men, Mohamed Mansaray, Ibrahim Fofanah ALIAS Lecturer, Osman Bangura were sentenced to
- JANUARY 14, 2014ItalyDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE: CONCLUDED TODAY THE HANDS OFF CAIN CONFERENCE ON ABOLITION AND MORATORIUM OF THE DEATH PENALTY
It concluded today in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the Regional Conference on the Abolition of the Death
- JANUARY 13, 2014ItalyDEATH PENALTY
UNDERWAY THE HANDS OFF CAIN CONFERENCE ON ABOLITION AND MORATORIUM IN SIERRA LEONE
Today in Freetown, Sierra Leone, started the Regional Conference on abolition of the death penalty and moratorium. The conference is sponsored by the Government of Sierra Leone and by Hands Off Cain thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Forei
- JANUARY 1, 2014Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2013Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
Ishmael Conteh ALIAS Jamil was sentenced to death for murder.
Ishmael Conteh ALIAS Jamil was sentenced to death for murder.