–As He Takes Steps To Strengthen Human Rights Framework
By Jerromie S. Walters
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has begun reviewing the recently released 2024 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report on Liberia, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the country’s human rights landscape over the past year. The report examines critical issues including civil liberties, political rights, judicial independence, press freedom, and protections for vulnerable populations within Liberia.
In his official response, President Boakai reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to upholding Liberia’s constitutional protections of human rights for all citizens and residents. He emphasized that human rights represent fundamental principles of dignity, justice and democratic governance rather than mere legal obligations. The Liberian leader stated the report would serve as an important tool for identifying both the nation’s progress and areas requiring urgent improvement.
President Boakai has instructed the Ministry of Justice, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, and other relevant government agencies to carefully examine the report’s findings. He directed these institutions to work collaboratively in developing practical policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Liberia’s human rights framework. The President stressed these recommendations should lead to concrete actions that address the identified shortcomings.
In an Executive Mansion statement, President Boakai assured both Liberian citizens and the international community that his administration takes the report’s findings seriously. He pledged to pursue necessary reforms that would bring Liberia’s human rights environment into alignment with global standards. The President emphasized his government’s dedication to implementing meaningful changes based on the report’s assessment.
Exposing Liberia’s Deepening Human Rights Crisis:
The U.S. State Department’s annual human rights report on Liberia, released on August 13, 2025, reveals a troubling regression in the country’s human rights record throughout 2024, marked by systemic abuses and a pervasive culture of impunity. The findings document widespread extrajudicial killings by security forces, suppression of press freedom, exploitation of workers, and a dysfunctional justice system that fails to deliver accountability.
One of the most alarming patterns highlighted in the report involves the persistent unlawful killings committed by state security personnel without meaningful consequences. A particularly disturbing incident occurred in April 2024 at Fish Town Central Prison, where an inmate died under suspicious circumstances while in custody. The death triggered violent protests from local residents, who vandalized the prison and facilitated the escape of several detainees. Authorities later charged six corrections officers in connection with the incident, but the investigation yielded minimal accountability—four officers were cleared of wrongdoing, one was dismissed for failing to cooperate, and only one remained under scrutiny by the end of the year.
The Liberia National Police, responsible for investigating such abuses, has been widely criticized for its sluggish and opaque handling of cases involving officer misconduct. In May 2024, Patrolman Jerome Tokpah was dismissed after allegedly attacking a civilian, Courage Tarr, with a machete in an act of brutal police violence. Despite being charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, the case remained unresolved months later, underscoring the systemic delays and lack of accountability that plague Liberia’s justice system.
Journalists and government critics faced escalating repression throughout the year. In August 2024, nine Monrovia City Corporation employees were fired for criticizing officials on social media, while Radio Kakata’s manager was suspended under questionable allegations of financial malfeasance following critical reporting. New accreditation rules imposed on journalists covering the Executive Mansion—including intrusive police and tax clearance requirements—were widely condemned as tools of censorship designed to stifle dissent.
Labor rights violations remained rampant, particularly in Liberia’s vast informal sector, which employs 90% of the workforce. Public-sector employees continued to be barred from collective bargaining after a controversial 2023 court ruling upheld the restriction, sparking protests from civil society groups. Labor inspectors, chronically underfunded and susceptible to bribery, routinely failed to enforce safety standards, contributing to preventable tragedies such as the March 2024 deaths of 10 miners in a mudslide at an illegal gold mine.
Liberia’s justice system is described as deeply corrupt and dysfunctional, with 60% of pretrial detainees held beyond the legal 180-day limit. Judges frequently solicit bribes in exchange for bail decisions, while public defenders, severely understaffed, struggle to provide even basic legal representation. A November 2024 case involving the extradition of a Guinean mercenary without due process drew rare judicial criticism but failed to spur meaningful reform.
The report notes minor progress, including France’s conviction of former warlord Kunti Kamara for crimes against humanity committed during Liberia’s civil war and the dismissal of officials caught embezzling refugee funds. However, these isolated victories are overshadowed by persistent abuses, including female genital mutilation, which still affects 50% of rural women, and child marriage, which remains legal for girls as young as 16.
