By Lamin Sankoh
Fourteen years old gay Ahmed Bockarie has on Friday 13th September, 2018 escaped prison after he was arrested and detained for publicly displaying affection for a fellow man.
According to our sources on Wednesday 15th August, 2018; Ahmed was in a pub partying with some friends when his gay partner Osman Bah publicly kissed and romance him. They were both beaten mercilessly and taken to prison without being taken to court or conviction.
According to the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service Joseph Johnson, Ahmed escaped from prison authorities after he was taken on routine prisoners job around Freetown.
“We have a system in prison here in which prisoners are often taken to specific places around Freetown to help clean the vicinity as a way of them contributing positively to the country. On Friday 13th September, 2018; Ahmed and many other prisoners were taken out of prison to help clean the Parliament of Sierra Leone compound and surrounding areas, whiles on the cleaning exercise all the prisoners started running away so the police had no other option but to shoot at them. Few were killed and others were able to escape. We have done the necessary analysis and names of all escaped prisoners are now with the police. We will do all in our power to ensure we bring all escaped prisoners back to prison to face justice.” He concluded
Sylvester Foray, Ahmed’s Uncle and guardian said the police raided his home arrested and detained him for several days after Ahmed escaped.
“My home was raided by the police and some prison officers. They claimed I know the whereabout of Ahmed, I spent several days in detention before I was eventually released on bail. I can confirm that Osman Bah was killed in the shootout because his family members identified his corpse at the mortuary before his burial by security personnel. As am speaking now I don’t know the whereabout of my Ahmed, I don’t know whether is dead or alive but I hope everything will become clear in due course.” He stated.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Sierra Leone face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Male same-sex sexual activity (whether in public or private) is illegal in Sierra Leone and carries a possible penalty of life imprisonment (with hard labor). Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Section 61 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, and imprisonment for life is possible.
