(New York) — Human Rights Watch yesterday urged President Charles Taylor to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders in Liberia. In a letter released today, the monitoring group criticized government intimidation of members of the Justice and Peace Commission, a nongovernmental organization associated with the Catholic church.
On October 9, the Commission called for an investigation into mass killings and other abuses by government troops in Monrovia in September. Since then, credible reports indicate that an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Samuel Kofi Woods, president of the Commission. Mr. Woods - a well-known activist and former Reebok Human Rights Award winner - has been a long-standing independent voice for human rights through years of civil war and repression in Liberia.
The harassment of members of the Justice and Peace Commission appears to be part of a larger attempt by the Taylor government to curb freedom of expression and freedom of association in Liberia.
The full text of the letter is attached.
October 22, 1998
H.E. Charles Taylor
President of the Republic of Liberia
Office of the President, Executive Mansion
P.O. Box 9001, Capitol Hill
Monrovia, Liberia
Dear President Taylor:
Over the past several weeks, Human Rights Watch has become increasingly concerned about the safety of human rights defenders in Liberia. We are particularly alarmed by the recent harassment and intimidation of a leading human rights organization, the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the National Catholic Secretariat, and in particular of Samuel Kofi Woods, its president.
The recent episodes of harassment seem to be related to a statement issued by the JPC on October 9, which condemned the latest rounds of violence and impunity in Liberia and called upon your government to investigate the serious incidents in September. In particular, the statement focused on reports of mass killings in Monrovia by security forces, the persecution of ethnic Krahns, the killings at the Post Stockade, and the American Embassy shootings. Shortly after the statement was issued, the organization received credible information that a warrant had been issued for Mr. Woods' arrest. On October 12, security forces were seen in the vicinity of his residence, apparently with orders to arrest him. Later that day, Mr. Woods' vehicle and a VHF radio were impounded by police and his driver was briefly detained.
Other members of the JPC were also summoned by your government to explain the JPC statement. In the intervening days, security forces have apparently returned to Woods' residence inquiring about his whereabouts. This obvious attempt to intimidate and silence prominent voices of civil society is extremely troubling for those in the international community who have hoped that respect for human rights might finally be realized in Liberia.
We fear that the actions against the JPC are not isolated, given recent reports about a governmental ban on the press from publishing information on the Internet. Reports indicate that your Minister of Information has prohibited newspapers from enjoying the newly acquired ability to publish materials on the Internet. We are concerned that this ban and the intimidation of civil society constitute a serious attack on freedom of expression and association in Liberia. We respectfully request that your government clarify its position on this ban and ensure that the press and all Liberians with links to the Internet have unfettered access. Civil society in Liberia--including human rights monitoring groups and the independent press--have played a critical role in demanding respect for human rights in Liberia, and consequently have been frequent targets for threats or attacks by previous Liberian governments or warring factions. We therefore call on your government to immediately cease all harassment of human rights groups and other organizations of civil society and to guarantee their ability to operate free of intimidation.
With regard to the Justice and Peace Commission, we urge you to ensure the protection and safety of all of its staff. Such steps constitute concrete ways for your government to underscore its commitment to internationally recognized human rights.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters.
