SIERRA LEONE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service Date 23 November 2010 SIERRA LEONE NOVEMBER 2010 Contents Preface Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.04 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 From 1787 to 2006 ................................................................................................ 3.01 Presidential and parliamentary elections, August 2007.................................... 3.07 Political violence in 2009 ..................................................................................... 3.08 Trials at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and The Hague ............................ 3.09 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO NOVEMBER 2010)........................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Political parties..................................................................................................... 6.04 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ................................................................................................ 8.01 United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) ... 8.02 9. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 9.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 9.01 Police..................................................................................................................... 9.03 Corruption .......................................................................................................... 9.05 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 9.07 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 9.09 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 9.11 Torture................................................................................................................ 9.13 Extra-judicial killings........................................................................................... 9.14 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 9.16 10. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 10.01 11. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES ......................................................... 11.01 Accountability for past abuses .......................................................................... 11.03 The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) ....................................................... 11.03 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) .............................................. 11.07 12. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 12.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 12.01 Independence ....................................................................................................... 12.05 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 12.07 13. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 13.01 Legal representation and bail.............................................................................. 13.04 14. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 14.01 15. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 15.01 16. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 16.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 16.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 11 November 2010. NOVEMBER 2010 SIERRA LEONE Chieftaincy elections .......................................................................................... 16.02 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 16.04 Politically motivated violence.............................................................................. 16.06 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 17.01 Newspapers, radio and television....................................................................... 17.03 Internet .................................................................................................................. 17.09 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 17.10 18. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 18.01 Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) ...................................... 18.03 19. CORRUPTION............................................................................................................ 19.01 20. FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................................. 20.01 Religious demography......................................................................................... 20.06 21. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 21.01 22. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 22.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 22.01 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities............................................... 22.03 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 22.04 23. DISABILITY ............................................................................................................... 23.01 24. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 24.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 24.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 24.06 Political rights....................................................................................................... 24.08 Social and economic rights................................................................................. 24.10 Marriage ............................................................................................................. 24.12 Property and inheritance .................................................................................... 24.15 Maternal health .................................................................................................. 24.17 Violence against women...................................................................................... 24.20 Domestic violence .............................................................................................. 24.21 Rape................................................................................................................... 24.23 Assistance available........................................................................................... 24.26 Family Support Units (FSUs) ......................................................................... 24.27 25. CHILDREN ................................................................................................................ 25.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 25.01 Basic legal information ....................................................................................... 25.05 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 25.08 Juvenile justice................................................................................................... 25.12 Violence against children .................................................................................... 25.15 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and secret societies....................................... 25.17 Childcare and protection ....................................................................................