Sierra Leone activists flee abroad as police hunt them
LGBTQ+ rights activists George Freeman and Edwin Deen feel ‘trapped, unprotected, and overwhelmed’
Hunted by police, scorned by family and evicted by their landlady, two LGBTQ+ rights activists from Sierra Leone have fled the country for their safety.
George Reginald Freeman Browne, the executive director of the LGBT+ rights organization Pride Equality, and his partner, fellow activist Edwin Bolaji Deen have been wanted by Sierra Leone police since Aug. 30, when police raided a party that Freeman and Deen attended.
Police issued warrants for their arrest on charges of “homosexuality (gay) and LGBTI [or LGBTQ] social activity”. Police claimed the pair’s work was “likely to cause the breach of the peace” and offered a “handsome” reward for information leading to their arrests.
From outside Sierra Leone, Freeman updated Erasing 76 Crimes about what has occurred after the events described in our latest article on Sept. 6. Those subsequent events include the death of Deen’s father, which his family blames on Deen.
Freeman wrote on Sept. 10:
“I am writing to update you on our situation, which has taken a severe turn for the worse over the last few days. The pressure and dangers surrounding Edwin and me are escalating rapidly, and we are extremely stressed and fearful for our safety.
“We continue to receive constant calls from family and friends warning us never to return to Sierra Leone. Even more concerning, we are getting continuous death threats and warning calls on WhatsApp from unknown phone numbers.
“Edwin’s mother and his entire family are now blaming and accusing him of causing his father’s death. Following [a Sept. 3] article published by Daybreak Newspaper, the police have been conducting constant raids and harassing his family to force them to produce Edwin. His mother confirmed that his father suffered immense emotional shock, distress, and disappointment before passing away. Despite his death, police visits and pressure on the family have not stopped.
“Today our landlady from the flat in Sierra Leone where we rented called us via WhatsApp. She called us ‘bloody homosexuals,’ told us never to return to the apartment, and stated that if we do, she will call the police to arrest us immediately. She declared our lease terminated, forfeiting the two years of rent we had already paid.
“We feel completely trapped, unprotected, and overwhelmed right now. Edwin is under immense psychological stress from both the loss of his father and the accusations from his family, ….
“We are deeply grateful for your continued support during this nightmare.”
