To fast-track the establishment of the War Crimes Court in Liberia, pressure group, Global Justice for Peace and Human Rights Advocacy Network (GJPHRAN) has called on President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to swiftly sign the legal documents as a means to end impunity in Liberia.
The group’s Global Director, Dr. Marie Scott Wilson in a press statement on April 20, 2024, urged President Boakai to also issue an executive order to set up a “Special War Crimes Office” to coordinate activities for the establishment of the War Crimes Court and write the United Nations Secretary-General seeking international assistance to establish the court.
Wilson narrated that the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia is long overdue and welcomed recent development from the Liberian Legislature shining a light of hope for justice for the over 250, 000 dead and living victims of the country’s brutal civil war.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have both signed a joint resolution supporting the establishment of said court.
The Legislature’s resolution authorized President Boakai to issue an executive order, to set up the first Special Office for Crimes to determine the scope and operations for the War Crimes Court, and to solicit international support, particularly to write the United Nations Secretary-General.
However, the group said despite its call for the establishment of the War Crime Court, it takes serious concerns regarding the credibility and integrity of the process, with specific questions surrounding certain organizations that have been involved in witness recruitment, witness coaching, and witness payment to make false claims against accused persons.
With that, the group has called for an investigation into those allegations and recommends a thorough vetting process for organizations and individuals that will be involved with the Liberian War Crimes Court.
It said the call for an investigation is to ensure ethical standards are upheld so that those organizations with a history of witness coaching and falsification of evidence are excluded from the process.
GJPHRAN is a civil society group that is primarily focused on advocating for global justice, peace, and human rights and continues to monitor and support initiatives that promote accountability, fairness, and the protection of vulnerable individuals in Liberia, Africa and beyond.
