A Washington-based human rights organization is intensifying its efforts to lobby U.S. Congress and the State Department for sanctions against Liberia’s Vice President, Jeremiah Koung, and the country’s top security officials, whom they accuse of orchestrating widespread human rights abuses under President Joseph Boakai’s administration.
The Liberian government through its Attorney General has denied claims of rights violations.
The Panoramic Justice Group released an extensive report Saturday, detailing a disturbing pattern of impunity, state violence, and political repression in Liberia.
The group cites serious incidents including police shootings, custodial deaths, ritual killings, and systemic intimidation of political dissenters as hallmarks of the current regime.
Notable allegations point to Vice President Koung as a principal figure in this environment of repression. According to the report, Koung has allegedly directed security forces to intimidate and surveil political opponents, furthering a government agenda of ethnic cleansing and deepening political divides within the country.
His involvement has raised alarm among human rights advocates who warn of a growing trend toward autocratic governance.
The group is calling for the U.S. government to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions, which would target Koung and other senior Liberian officials, including Justice Minister Oswald Natu Tweh, National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods, and Inspector General of the Liberian National Police Gregory Coleman.
These sanctions could include asset freezes and travel restrictions, substantially impacting the ability of these officials to operate internationally.
The report also highlights the lack of accountability in cases of police brutality. Several documented incidents, such as the shooting of Bangalie Kamara and the custodial neglect leading to the deaths of prisoners, have resulted in little or no prosecution, indicating a broader culture of impunity that persists despite occasional isolated prosecutions.
Political oppression is another alarming feature of Boakai’s tenure. Individuals such as Thomas Etheridge and Eric Susay have reportedly been tortured in an effort to extract false testimony against government critics.
The Panoramic Justice Group’s report also draws attention to the vulnerability of women and children in the current human rights climate, particularly in light of unresolved sexual violence cases.
The murder of activist Dorothy Nyemah remains a stark example of the justice system’s failures.
In response to these grave concerns, the human rights organization has proposed a series of recommendations aimed at safeguarding human rights in Liberia. These include revoking U.S. visas for senior government officials, reviewing Liberia’s eligibility under the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact due to documented human rights violations, and implementing mechanisms to bring accountability to government officials involved in these abuses.
With human rights community seeking to shine a spotlight on the deteriorating situation in Liberia, lawmakers and officials in Washington are faced with the pressing question of how best to respond to these alarming allegations and what steps can be taken to support human rights and democratic governance in the country going forward.
