Recent years have seen an extraordinary number of political activists, human rights defenders and students and workers being brutalized by the Liberia National Police followed by extrajudicial killings in Maryland County, Republic of Liberia. Reports clearly show two young men have been killed and several others beaten into coma and humiliated for political reasons since 2011. These figures and the current situation in Maryland are entirely unacceptable and require urgent intervention by the Government of the Republic of Liberia if the killings and police brutality are to stop.
The unabated killings and brutality against defenseless and armless citizens and residents in Maryland have revealed a completely inadequate response by the Government to prevent further deaths and to remedy this worsening situation. The police’s responsibility in investigating these cases has fallen completely short of what is required resulting in the perpetrators, in most cases, having yet to be prosecuted in a court of law. This lack of an effective police investigation into the killings and police brutality and violence against activists and the Government seeming unwillingness to properly intervene are the greatest obstacles in prosecuting the perpetrators and bringing an end to these deaths police brutality.
It appears that in Maryland no system exists to properly ensure that perpetrators of police brutality and extrajudicial killings may be brought to justice for their actions. One of the basic elements of investigation, the gathering of evidence, appears to be non-existent in Maryland right now. In most cases involving the killings and police brutality of activists, this inability to properly gather evidence has meant that the perpetrators have not even been identified or persons who were present are so far afraid that they are unwilling to be witnesses. Owing to this, many of the cases have not even made it to a court of law and if they made it to a court of law, it was suppressed.
The failure to implement an effective investigation and a functioning witness protection mechanism appear to be major obstacles in bringing justice to cases of extrajudicial killings and police brutality.
The Government’s failure to take adequate action in response to these recommendations and to the police brutality and killings themselves, are clearly depriving Marylanders of their right to life. Such action has terrorized and silenced the people, particularly Marylanders, which is entirely unacceptable. It has also denied Marylanders of an environment where the basic rule of law exists.
To prevent further police brutality and extrajudicial killings of activists, students, women, workers and to avert a new social crisis in the county, the government must take immediate action regarding these matters. First, and most, obviously, full investigations and judicial inquiries must follow without delay, with a view to holding the perpetrators fully accountable for their crimes and making clear that this pattern of killings and police brutality will not be allowed to continue. Secondly, The Independent National Human Rights Commission of Liberia (INHCR) must play an active role by coordinating its work with the National Bureau of Investigation, rather than waiting for the other agencies to take the initiative, and by considering recommendations to indemnify the families of the dead. Thirdly, the Government of Liberia must condemn and demand the retraction of statements by the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice in defense of brutality committed by its officers.
Latest killings:
Date: 2011
Victim: Gartor Doe (ERU shot him assassination-style and he bled to death in the streets)
Location: Pleebo City, Maryland County
Date: May 2012
Victim: Harrison Geeply (ERU beat him into a bloodbath and left him to bleed to death in prison)
Location: Harper City, Maryland County
Latest brutality & robbery:
Date: 2011
Victim: Hon. Anthony Harmon, Lord Mayor, City of Pleebo (ERU flogged and humiliated the Mayor in public)
Location: Pleebo City, Maryland County
Date: 2011
Victim: Wah-Kla Neufville (three well-armed ERU men beat him into coma and left him swimming in his blood)
Location: Harper City, Maryland County
Date: 2011
Victim: Anthony Wesley (ERU flogged him into helplessness and robbed him of his money and personals; left in total pain and agony)
Location: Fishtown, Harper, Maryland County
Date: 2011
Victim: Dumu Hne (ERU flogged him in his village early in the morning right before his wife and children; entered his house and robbed him)
Location: Pleebo City, Maryland County
Date: June 29, 2012
Victim: Thomas G. Bedell/Social Justice Advocate/CoPresident/KudeNumo Peace Initiative Foundation, Inc. (ERU flogged me in front of the Pleebo City Hall, physically & psychologically tortured me, robbed me of my money and personals, spat on and humiliated me for speaking on behalf of the vulnerable and women)
Location: Pleebo City, Maryland County
Until there's a judicial review on these cases, the perpetrators (police) will remain free and the killings, rape, highway robberies and brutality will undoubtedly continue. The government of Liberia must take action if this situation is to be averted or the people of Maryland will organized themselves in self defense which is a right not a privilege.
The Attorney General or say Minister of Injustice of Liberia should be amongst the first to take the necessary action. But, no! she's encouraging murder and police brutality in Maryland
I am T. Gbuo-Mle Bedell a volunteer, working and speaking on the ground in Liberia who has now been flogged by the Liberian government thus, a victim of police brutality.
