The Independent National Commission on Human Rights has painted the country’s human rights pictures “gloomy” but Justice Ministry has disclaimed it saying that Liberia is zero tolerance to violence, mainly against women.
The Commission accused the government of not doing much to protect its citizenry from reported ritualistic killings, rapes, child labor and discrimination of people with disabilities among other vices nationwide.
But Justice Ministry strongly differed with the insinuation stating that the Commission needs to do thorough research before coming public because there are instruments in place addressing those concerns.
Both INCHR’s Chairman, T. Dempster Brown and Justice Minister, Frank Musa Dean, made these comments during the celebration of the International Human Rights Day, and the 2021 closure of 16 days of activism on gender based violence ceremonies held last Friday, December 10 in Monrovia.
The celebration brought together local and international communities including the United Nations, European Union, the Economic of West African States as well as the Embassies of the United States, Sweden, Ireland, China, Germany, Nigeria and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Liberian National Bar Association among others.
According to him, the 2021 human rights situation report docketed human rights violations based on domestic and international legal instruments.
Brown stated that there are most serious human rights violations found where those are connected to lack of justice, judicial inefficiency and corruption, prolonged pretrial detention, denial of due process and harsh prison condition.
He said violence against women and children including rape, domestic violence and child labor are also issues of concern and other human rights violations include unlawful deprivation of liberty under customary laws.
Others are the alleged disappearance and killings, ritualistic killings, police brutality, harassment and intimidating of detainees, arbitrary arrests and detention, corruption, and discrimination against persons with disabilities and mentally impaired persons.
“Our investigation did not uncover or find any State-sanctioned or State-sponsored commission of the above mentioned breaches or violations; however, findings of actions taken by the State to address or curb the violations reported were insufficient, half-baked, and most times reactive,” the Commission noted.
It said impunity remains a serious problem despite government’s sporadic attempts to prosecute and correct public officials for wrongdoing, particularly on allegations of corruption.
“State actors in several instances are found wanting when it comes to impartially administering justice, adhering to the rule of law and ensuring equitable dispensation of justice for all,” the body said.
It opined that while government has lapses in the above mentioned instances, it also ensured that citizens enjoy some of their basic rights as provided for in the Constitution of Liberia and international protocols and conventions.
The INCHR believes while the State ensured relative freedom of expression and information, movement and assembly there were also instances of breaches of these rights, increased incidences of rape were reported during the reporting period; nonetheless, the LNP did affect arrests, investigated and forwarded more cases to Court.
About prisons’ overcrowdiness countrywide, the INCHR said the Courts are yet to adjudicate most of these cases to ensure that both the perpetrators and the victims are given the desired justice since the overcrowdiness of prisons is pervasive in Liberia.
For example, the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP) was built to accommodate 375 inmates but now regularly holds more than 1350 inmates; also Sanniquellie Central Prison (SCP) and Buchanan Central Prison (BCP) were built to accommodate 80 to 47 inmates but now have 249 and 129 respectively.
“This skin creeping situation associated with overcrowdiness is also obtaining in nearly all other prisons in Liberia. For example, poor sanitary condition, inadequate health care, scanty food supply with poor nutrition, inadequate accommodation thus subjecting pretrial detainees and convicts sharing the same facilities, including juveniles being placed in the same cells with adults,” it stated.
But Minister Dean who appeared furious, sharply reacted to the report stating that government has zero tolerance when it comes to violence against women in the country.
He disclaimed those issues reported or raised by the Commission with the reference that they are being handled with instruments put in place at both the Justice Ministry and the Liberia Police Service.
He said because of these mechanisms, the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) is serving as Chairman on the Security and Civilian Complaint Board (SCCB) thereby encouraging the Commission to do thorough research before going public.
With this, Dean continued that the government continues to make efforts in fulfillment of promises saying that the country since March, 2007, has 4 percent of people with disabilities in its employment.
However he paid tribute to the international community for standing by Liberia to improve its human rights activities by quoting article 11(c) of the Liberian Constitution which states: “All persons are equal before the law and are therefore entitled to the equal protection of the law.”
Speaking during the commemoration; various Embassies’ Ambassadors or their representatives spoke in one accord by shedding light on the human rights situation in the country and cautioned government to remain focused on good governance.