Freetown, 24th August, 2026 -Lawyers’ Society has issued a call for urgent medical and psychosocial care for Zainab Sheriff and other inmates whose health conditions require immediate intervention.
In a statement released on Monday, the Society expressed concern over reports of Ms Sheriff’s deteriorating health and urged authorities to act swiftly to ensure she receives appropriate treatment. The organisation stressed that incarceration does not extinguish fundamental rights to humane treatment, dignity, and access to healthcare.
“The deprivation of liberty is the punishment imposed by the law; it must not become a basis for the denial of necessary medical or psychosocial care,” the statement read.
The Lawyers’ Society referenced the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), which place the dignity and humane treatment of prisoners at the centre of prison management. Rule 24 requires that prisoners enjoy the same standards of healthcare available in the community, while Rule 25 obliges prison health services to protect and improve inmates’ physical and mental health.
The Society outlined a series of urgent measures including: Immediate medical assessment and treatment for Ms. Sheriff, including referral to external specialists if necessary, comprehensive health review of other prisoners suffering from physical or mental conditions, access to psychological and psychiatric services for those requiring psychosocial support, provision of essential medicines, diagnostic services, and specialist care within correctional facilities and regular monitoring of healthcare standards in prisons by oversight institutions.
While acknowledging the difficult conditions under which correctional authorities operate, the Society insisted that resource constraints cannot justify neglect. “A prisoner remains a human being. The bars may restrict liberty; they must never become a barrier to dignity, healthcare and humane treatment,” the statement concluded.
