Court Dismisses Blyden's EU-EOM Suit; Orders Costs

Court Dismisses Blyden's EU-EOM Suit; Orders Costs

The High Court of Sierra Leone has dismissed the civil action initiated by Sylvia Olayinka Blyden against officials of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), citing a lack of jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.

The ruling was delivered on 7 May 2026, by the Honourable Justice Josephine F. Hinga of the General Civil Division, granting the application filed by the defendants for dismissal. 

The defendants included Elvin Incir (Chief Observer), Inta Lase (Deputy Chief Observer), Lukasz Wilda-Domaradzki (Social Media Analyst), Sylvian Ollier (Legal Analyst), and the EU-EOM itself.

The defendants submitted a motion for dismissal, supported by affidavits and exhibits, on 2 February 2026. Dr. Sylvia Blyden, the plaintiff, formally opposed this application via an affidavit sworn on 28 April 2026. 

Following submissions from State Counsel Amara Lansana, representing the defendants, and Dr. Blyden, appearing in person, the court determined it lacked the requisite jurisdiction and subsequently dismissed the case. 

A portion of the ruling explicitly stated: “It is this day ordered as follows: That this Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the action/matter herein”.

Furthermore, the court ordered the plaintiff to pay the sum of NLe150,000 in costs to the defendants. 

In follow-up correspondence dated 8 May 2026, the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice directed Dr. Blyden to remit the payment by Tuesday, 12 May 2026, cautioning that failure to comply would initiate enforcement proceedings.