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Liberia: Government takes responsibility for Human Rights Report

By: Kruah Thompson 

The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism has generally accepted and welcomed the U.S. State Department 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, particularly in Liberia. 

The U.S. State Department Report published APRIL 12, 2022 characterizes Liberia as a country with credible reports of security officers particularly the Police arbitrarily arresting, dragging, and detaining people while pointing to repression of freedom of the press, violence, intimidation and threats again journalists along with increased corruption in government.

The 2021 Human Rights Report also notes lack of independence of the judiciary here, while highlighting disappearances, torture, and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatments, amid harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.

Liberia’s Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie says government accepts and takes responsibility for everything the report outlines, and for this reason, they keep making demonstrated strive to address them.

He notes that the report also illustrates progress that has been made in terms of talking about and directing issues that confront Liberians.

However, commenting on arbitrarily arrest, as outlined by the report, Minister Rennie says no one is arbitrarily arresting people in Liberia but claims the U.S. State Department fails to understand that this has been the process of the rule of law in Liberia.

 He continues that the government is committed to fighting corruption, which is why the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission in the last few months has put new legislation before the National Legislature to give it teeth or power to go after people found wanting in the discharge of their public office and duty.

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The Information boss continues that the General Auditing Commission has a new Auditor General, who is conducting an intensive audit on various government ministries and agencies. “Those reports will be made public once they are concluded.” He adds. 

When quizzed on the overcrowdings of the central prison, he says government is fighting to address the situation but they cannot do it alone, so they are looking toward their international partners for help, saying “The government needs between 610 million United States Dollars to build a brand-new prison center.”

 Meanwhile, Minister Rennie says government is not turning a blind eye on the issues raised by the U.S. State Department “but as you know, sometimes, turtle wants the box, but its hands are short, therefore, when time is right the issues will be tackled.”https://thenewdawnliberia.com/liberia-u-s-records-killings-corruption-and-media-suppression/ Editing by Jonathan Browne

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NewDawn

The New Dawn is Liberia’s Truly Independent Newspaper Published by Searchlight Communications Inc. Established on November 16, 2009, with its first hard copy publication on January 22, 2010. The office is located on UN Drive in Monrovia Liberia. The New Dawn is bilingual (both English & French).
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