The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), a prominent civil society and anti-impunity organization in Liberia, has condemned the police raid on the headquarters of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), an opposition political party, on August 22.
According to STAND, the raid, which allegedly targeted the nearby Small Town community, escalated and spread into the CDC’s headquarters, bringing normal business activity to a standstill, creating panic and pandemonium, and resulting in multiple injuries on both sides.
STAND is calling for an immediate investigation into the incident and demands that those responsible be held accountable and face appropriate sanctions to set a precedent against future occurrences.
The organization insists that the police should have exercised the utmost caution, even if individuals suspected of committing crimes entered the compound of a major opposition political party.
STAND believes that the most logical approach would have been to engage the CDC’s leadership in a peaceful, respectful, and amicable manner, seeking their cooperation to apprehend the individuals.
STAND further states that political party headquarters, like religious places and embassies, should enjoy a degree of sanctity and immunity from the use of heavy arms and brute force, as such actions undermine basic decency and human rights.
The civil society group has called on the Liberian government to cover the cost of treatment for all injured persons and provide compensation for damages to goods and property in the affected areas, in line with civilized norms and human decency.
STAND’s statement reflects the findings of its own preliminary investigation, which involved listening to eyewitnesses, reviewing video clips of the incident from independent media, and considering the government’s account expressed in a press release.
The organization has stressed that the Liberian government and its law enforcement agencies cannot ignore the rule of law, which mandates that the rights of individuals and groups (both public and private) must always be respected, protected, and guaranteed, regardless of the circumstances or suspicions against them.
STAND has urged the government to prioritize national reconciliation and unity as a key focus of its governance, and it has called on all groups, including the CDC, to seek redress through the legal system if their rights are violated, rather than resorting to violence or actions that could endanger the general population.
