The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has begun hearings in the bloody situation that took place in Liberia on the dawn of the Country’s 175th Independence Day Celebration.
According to the Commission, the crisis that occurred at the grounds of the America Embassy near Monrovia is not being looked at only as criminal nature but on the basis of blunt human rights violation.
Cllr. Dempster Browne on Monday of this week presiding over the first day hearing said, the video footages and pictorials in circulation revealed a clear torture that was carried on against young people most especially Christopher Walters Susolu Sevili.
He said though the court is already in its position on the matter to make sure the law takes its course, the Human Rights Commission is concerned about handling the matter with civility to go down to the roots in getting the masterminds to book and recommend to central government in its findings.
Cllr. Browne said that the hearing has found out before connecting the parties to the case a fact that due to the faction of differences among them, they (INCHR) will not be able to bring together both the members of the Students Unification Party (SUP) and the Coalition for Democratic Change Council of patriot (CDC-COP) at once to hear their testimonies.
“To avoid tension and other uprisings we are going to take the Students Unification Party first to make their testimonies while on tomorrow, we will have the CDC-COP coming before the board of commissioners here to give their side of the story,” the INCHR boss stated.
Appearing on the witness stand for the first day, SUP Chairman Mustapha Kanneh and Secretary General Jusu Kamara explained that the party’s July 26 protest disruption into violence was all pre-calculated plans of the ruling establishment.
According to the witnesses, the government through the Ministry’s rejection of their communication that called their attention to the planned rally on several occasions shows that there were some reasons to deny them of their constitutional rights.
They stated further in their separate testimonies that the students only moved to the grounds of the United States Embassy near Monrovia in search of safety after intelligence hinted SUP’s leadership of a counter protest actions that were underway.
“We as students initially planned to gather at the Capitol Hill to move to the US Embassy, the seat of the Legislature and other National and International Institutions, but for safety we moved to the American Embassy for protections because of the security cameras and measures at the premises,” SUP’s Executives added.
On today, the stage is accordingly set to listen to the executives of the CDC-COP for them to provide their own side of the story in order to have the Human Rights Commission coming out with its finding and recommendations to the Liberian government and the general public.
Also expected to speak to the matter before the INCHR, Police Inspector General Patrick Sudu has been invited to take the witness stand despite his reported refusal to adhere to the communication sent to his office by the human rights body.
“Patrick Sudu is refusing to come to us to give the police side of what happened on the Independence Day. Whether or not he agrees to come here, he will stand here tomorrow to address the board of commission,” Cllr. Dempster Browne emphasized.
He added that if the Police Director continues to down play the calls of the commission, the court will be used to issue a Writ of summons and subsequently a Writ of Arrest if the need be.
