Monrovia, Liberia – The United States Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Liberia has uncovered numerous reports throughout the year 2024, that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
According to the report, in May, the Bureau of Rehabilitation and Corrections formally charged six officers linked to the death of an inmate in April at the Fish Town Central Prison.
The inmate death led to community unrest as angry residents vandalized the prison, leading to the escape of some inmates. According to the prison bureau, several corrections officers aided the jailbreak and were under investigation by the Liberia National Police (LNP).
Four of the six officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing, one was dismissed for failure to cooperate with the investigation, and one remained under investigation.
A February 2023 report by the Ministry of Health in partnership with local and international non governmental organizations (NGOs) revealed induced abortions had taken place in previous years and there were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of the government authorities.
The constitution provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected these rights, individuals were generally free to criticize the government publicly or privately, but government officials sometimes used dismissal or threat of dismissal from employment to place limits on freedom of expression for public servants.
In August, the Monrovia City Corporation dismissed nine city employees following allegations they used social media to criticize government officials and the president.
Press associations reported Physical Attacks, Imprisonment, and Pressure from government officials occasionally harassed newspaper and radio station owners, as well as individual journalists, because of their political opinions and reporting.
In the report, it states that, on June 20 Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana met with media executives and it turned contentious, leading several editors to walk out of the meeting. This incident according to the report arose concerns about new accreditation requirements for journalists covering the executive mansion, including police clearances and institutional tax clearance certificates. These policies, along with demands by the government for free website advertising, which impacted newspaper revenues, sparked concerns regarding media freedom and independence.
