Human Rights community takes Pres Weah to task over war crimes court

By Alfred Kollie Email: alfredkolliejr92jr@gmail.com

The human rights community in Liberia has strongly reacted to indication by President George M. Weah that the Liberian people should decide through a referendum on whether or not they want a war crimes court established in the Country.

Recently, President Weah, in response to question, said it is left for Liberians to choose between the war crimes court and peace for development in the country.

In a joint press conference in Monrovia, the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia and Global Justice and Research Project, reminded President Weah that war crimes court is not a matter of choice but a traditional justice process that deals with past human rights violations like in the case of Liberia.

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Human Rights, Justice Campaigners and Victims of Liberia said the called for referendum on the establishment of World Crime and Economic court is not necessary in the case of criminal accountability ‘’ it just don’t work that way in democratic societies’’.

Speaking at a news Conference in Monrovia earlier this week, a member of the Human Rights and Justice Campaigner, Adama Dempster said war crimes court is the only medium through which impunity is addressed for those who bear the greatest responsibility for war related crimes.

‘’the Call for a referendum will only delay the implementation of the July 2018 UN Human Rights Committee conclusions that the Liberian government should establish a process of accountability for past human rights violation and reports back in two years,’’ Mr. Dempster noted.  

In addition, Mr. Dempster wants the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendation on the establishment of an extraordinary criminal court for Liberia to prosecute past serious crimes be implemented.

Mr. Adama Dempster

According to Dempster, War Crimes court is not a matter of choice but transitional justice process that deals with past human rights violations like in the case of Liberia.

‘’A War Crimes court is the medium through which impunity is addressed for those who bear the greatest responsibility for war related crimes such as massacres, summary executions, recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence and atrocities that constitute gross human rights violations against defenseless women, children, older and other vulnerable persons during the back to back civil wars in Liberia,’’ he said.

The Liberian Human rights Campaigner believed that the establishment of a World Crime court is the only way to help assure that development undertaken after the war would not be destroyed in the next war.

He notd that it will help guarantee that victims of the past violations do not become the next generation of perpetrators in other round of violence and blood bath in Liberia.

Liberians has this year conducted multiple marches in the streets, most recent the November 12, 2018 campaign for War Crimes court with a petition to the Legislature for the implementation of the TRC’s recommendations which include a war crimes court.

A National Justice Conference held recently heard numerous emotional calls for perpetrators to be held to account for past crimes.

‘’The President should further be aware that his recent remakrs are interpreted to be against the establishment of the war crimes court, which remains a bitter affront to the TRC, the July 2018 UN human rights committee report concluding observations on Liberia’s Commitments to the International covenant on Civil and political rights, the United States Congress House resolution 1055 supporting full implementations which include the establishment of an extraordinary criminal court for Liberia,’’ Mr. Dempster explained.

According to him, recent statement by President Weah is worrisome and has the potential to threaten International peace and security and further waste the billions dollars of invested to restore peace in Liberia.

‘’We call on the Ministry of Justice to brief President Weah in detail on the July 2018 UN Human rights committee report, and the US Congress House resolution 1055,’’ the rights advocate concluded.