Amnesty West and Central Africa demands justice for Hawa Hunt.

Amnesty West and Central Africa, a regional branch of Amnesty International dedicated to advocating for human rights and other social issues, urges authorities in Sierra Leone to release and guarantee a fair trial to reality TV star Hawa Madiana Hunt.

Hunt was arrested during a live broadcast of the House of Stars Season (2) on December 22, 2024. She has been incarcerated ever since, with several fails by her lawyers to get her bail.

She is being charged by the court for creating and disseminating insulting messages via a computer system or network contrary to Section 44 (2) (b) of the Cyber Security and Crime Rate of 2021 Act No. 7 of 2021 against the President, H.E. Julius Maada Bio, and the First Lady, Fatima Madaa Bio.

Following her detention, concerns have been expressed by numerous organisations and individuals about the prolonged detention in respect to fairness of her trial proceedings.

Amnesty WARO emphasizes that the law being applied to prosecute Hunt, especially the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021, violates the right to freedom of expression.

The organization further advocates for the decriminalization of libel laws in Sierra Leone, highlighting the need to upholding individual rights to freedom of expression.