On August 20, 2025, Sierra Leone journalist, Thomas Dixon, who is the Chairman of the Guild of Newspaper Editors and Managing Editor of the New Age newspaper, reported through a Facebook post that he had been formally invited to appear before the CID. His post explained that his invitation by the CID was based on allegations of “cyber-stalking and cyberbullying” filed by the Chinese-owned Leone Rock Metal Group.
Dixon’s invitation by the CID follows a story published in the New Age newspaper by Dixon alleging that the Chinese company failed to pay social security contributions for its foreign workers. Dixon also shared the report on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to media reports, Leone Rock Metal Group initially lodged a complaint with the Independent Media Commission (IMC). However, the IMC dismissed the case in Dixon’s favour. The company subsequently pursued the matter at the CID, leading to the journalist’s invitation.
The development has raised concern within Sierra Leone’s media fraternity and civil society sector over the weaponization of cybercrime provisions to silence critical journalism.
“This case is particularly worrying because it suggests a pattern in which powerful corporations can bypass the regulatory mechanisms provided by the IMC, and instead resort to the criminal justice system to intimidate journalists,” said a senior editor in Freetown who spoke to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
The MFWA shares in this concern as the use of cybercrime laws to criminalise expression is a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression. It is difficult to appreciate how the publication of a media report on digital spaces could be described as cyber bullying and/or cyberstalking. We would, however, leave that to the investigations by the CID.
This is not the first time Thomas Dixon has faced harassment for his work. In December 2024, he came under pressure from the Sierra Leone Police after criticising the Inspector General of Police on social media. That case was later resolved through mediation by SLAJ.
MFWA calls on the Sierra Leonean CID and the authorities to ensure a transparent unbiased process that would assure the good people of Sierra Leone, the media and civic actors that the constitutional guarantees of press freedom and freedom of expression, as espoused in the country’s Constitution, are being respected and upheld.
