High Court in Sierra Leone Sentences Coup Plotters to Long Prison Terms

A high court in Sierra Leone sentenced 11 individuals, including former soldiers and police officers, to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a failed coup attempt last year. The convicted face charges including treason and murder. Tensions in the nation remain high, years after a brutal civil war.

A high court in Sierra Leone has handed down long prison sentences to 11 individuals, including former soldiers and police officers, for their involvement in last year's failed military coup.

On November 26th, gunmen attacked military barracks, a prison, and other locations, resulting in the release of approximately 2,200 inmates and the deaths of over 20 people. Following the collapse of the coup attempt, the accused faced treason charges in January, with 11 of them being convicted on 20 counts, including treason, murder, and the unauthorized use of military uniforms.

One accused individual, Bai Mahmoud Bangura of the opposition All People's Congress (APC) party, is being tried separately due to health issues. Retired army major Amadu Koita Makalo received multiple sentences ranging from 40 to 70 years in prison to be served concurrently. Additionally, two female officers were sentenced; Halimatu Hassan Bangura received 30 years for harboring Koita.

The government asserted that the coup was primarily led by bodyguards to former president Ernest Bai Koroma, who condemned the attempt. Koroma's lawyers argued that the charges were politically motivated. The incident has heightened tensions in Sierra Leone, a nation still recovering from a civil war that claimed over 50,000 lives two decades ago.

(With inputs from agencies.)