Washington, D.C. — The Panoramic Justice Group, a U.S.-based human rights watchdog, has issued a damning report on alleged human rights abuses under the administration of Liberian President Joseph N. Boakai.
In separate letters addressed to Honorable Christopher H. Smith, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Africa in the U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the group detailed a litany of violations that they claim threaten to reverse nearly two decades of democratic progress in Liberia.
Dr. Garkpe Gedepoh, the group's Executive Director and a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, warned that Liberia is rapidly descending into authoritarianism, with security forces supplanting democratic institutions. "At the rate of these abuses, Liberia is fast descending into a security nation where the security forces have replaced democratic institutions," Dr. Gedepoh wrote, urging the U.S. government to intervene and prevent a rollback of democratic gains.
The Panoramic Justice Group's report alleges widespread impunity, political repression, and systemic violence, citing specific cases of police brutality, custodial deaths, ritual killings, and suppression of dissent. Among the most egregious cases, according to the group, are the unresolved police shootings of Bangalie Kamara, Essah Massaley, and James Kandy, as well as the custodial deaths of Morris Gomo and Prince Wreyou.
The ritualistic killings, the group recalled including those of Oumar Dukuly and Moses Vesselee, also remain unaddressed, while political critics such as Andrew Lawson and individuals like Thomas Etheridge and Eric Susay have alleged torture at the hands of state security forces. The report also mentioned systemic failures within Liberia's justice system, highlighting inconsistencies in prosecuting crimes and protecting vulnerable groups.
"The trend of the new government threatens to erase the gains and draw the U.S. into an unparalleled situation where U.S. aids and sponsored infrastructures are being used for torture and abuse of the rights of Liberian citizens," Dr. Gedepoh wrote, noting that incidents of extraordinary rendition have also been documented.
The report documents 17 high-profile cases of human rights violations, including unresolved murders, custodial deaths, and police brutality. Among these:
- February 2024: Nine-year-old Moses Vesselee was found dead in Bong County, with the case unresolved.
- February 28, 2024: Bangalie Kamara and Essah Massaley were shot and killed by police during a protest in Grand Cape Mount County. The case remains unresolved.
- July 2024: 17-year-old James Kandy was fatally shot by a police officer in Paynesville. The officer remains unprosecuted.
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More recently, in January 2025, journalists and activists have faced harassment. Bai Best and David Yates were detained and coerced following their reporting on the alleged murder of Boulevard Palace Hotel manager Anwar Futloo, a case that remains shrouded in mystery. Meanwhile, Andrew Lawson and others accused of involvement in the Capitol Building fire incident reported torture during detention.
Appeal to the United States
The Panoramic Justice Group is calling on the U.S. government to take immediate action, including imposing Global Magnitsky sanctions on implicated Liberian officials, revoking U.S. visas for senior government figures, and reviewing Liberia's eligibility under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact.
Dr. Gedepoh's recalled the longstanding ties between Liberia and the United States, noting that the U.S. has invested over $4 billion in stabilizing Liberia and fostering democracy over the past 18 years. "We intend to highlight these abuses and encourage the U.S. to use its long-standing relations with Liberia to make the necessary corrections and return Liberia to a constitutional democracy under the rule of law," he wrote.
