In the 2024 Human Rights Situation Report, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) unveils distressing human rights violations in Liberia. Despite some hopeful initiatives, the report reveals alarming issues: state security violence, wrongful pretrial detentions, gender-based violence, and enduring traditional practices harming individuals, particularly women and children.
A frontrunner among these concerns is the brutality displayed by state security forces. Instances of excessive force have tragically become commonplace, leading to the loss of life. An illustrative case on July 1 involved a police officer fatally shooting a 17-year-old student while pursuing a suspect, highlighting unrestrained violence in law enforcement and the urgent need for stricter measures against it.
The report also shines a spotlight on prolonged pretrial detentions, which plague the judicial system. Many individuals languish without trial, contributing to prison overcrowding. The lack of sufficient judges, especially in rural areas, hinders timely justice, deepening public distrust in the legal framework’s integrity.
Gender-based violence remains rampant, with rape—especially among minors—continuing at disturbing rates. Efforts to combat this violence have yielded minimal reductions, leaving victims exposed without adequate justice or protection. The alarming normalisation of harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and ritual killings, also remains prevalent despite calls for cessation from authorities.
Egregious incidents of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings raise serious concerns over human rights observance, illustrated by the case of Abrahima Kalil Cherif, who vanished after detention. Prison conditions are dire, with overcrowding and health issues such as tuberculosis compounded by long pretrial detentions.
Children are particularly vulnerable, facing exploitation and violence in Liberia. Reports of child labour, sexual violence, and torture, especially against those labelled as witches, highlight the critical need for robust child protection strategies. Violence in concession areas, where people protesting dire conditions encounter fierce retaliation from security forces, contributes to a dire human rights landscape.
Consequently, the INCHR urges immediate government action to rectify these issues, demanding accountability for violence, swift judicial reforms, criminalisation of harmful practices, improved protections for vulnerable groups, and strengthened oversight of law enforcement. The report underscores that Liberia must commit to reforming its human rights approach to avoid undermining its national and international obligations.
The 2024 INCHR report reveals significant human rights violations in Liberia, focusing on state security brutality, prolonged detentions, persistent gender-based violence, and harmful traditional practices. Key incidents include the killing of a student by police and ongoing issues concerning child protection. The INCHR demands urgent reforms from the government to combat these challenges and uphold human rights standards.
The 2024 INCHR report lays bare the severe human rights violations in Liberia, particularly around state security abuses, prolonged detentions, gender-based violence, and harmful practices. With the situation worsening, the INCHR calls for a resolute response from the government to address these critical concerns to align Liberia’s practices with its human rights commitments.
Original Source: frontpageafricaonline.com
