 Several Sierra Leonean journalists critical of President Koroma, including Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay of the Independent Observer newspaper and radio journalist who compare the president to a rat, and David Tam Baryoh who criticized the president Ebola response, have been arrested and detained on seditious libel charges by the Sierra Leone Police but they were later released from jail.The oppositions, the Sierra Leone Bar Association of journalists and critic of the government, alleged the journalists were arrested because of their fierce and outspoken critic of president Koroma, an allegation again denied by the presidency.President Koroma was criticized after several people were shot dead by Sierra Leone Police officers in the Eastern city of Koidu Town in 2007 and again in 2012 at protests rallies against poor living conditions and against the mining companies in Kono District.