UN-backed special court cautions Sierra Leone to stay off prisoners

The UN-backed special court for Sierra Leone has cautioned the government of the West African country to desist from interfering into matters concerning the eight Sierra Leone prisoners who are now serving lengthy sentences for human rights violations in Rwanda. "We have been asked by the Court to stay off from the matter as any such act will be interpreted as contempt," Minister of Information and government spokesman Ibrahim Ben Kargbo told reporters here on Friday. "The government has been told through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice (Frank Kargbo) that we should not be seen interfering as it is a legal matter," he said. "For our part, we do not want to interfere with the court's decision but was looking at all sides in the matter," he added. The families of the convicts recently made representations to the government to "discuss with the court the possibility of transferring the men to Sierra Leone to continue their jail sentences," one family member reportedly said. He disclosed that the men's nine-page petition dated Sept. 7, 2011, had alleged that since their arrival in Kigali in October 2009, they had "poor feeding, lack of access to facilities as medical, clothing and TV," but court officials have denied the claims, saying that "there are records to prove that best facilities for prisoners have been offered to them." The eight were jailed for "bearing the greatest responsibility" for crimes arising from the civil war in the West African state which ended in 2002.