STAND Ramps upPressure Against Abuses-Demands Accountability From UP’s Security Forces

MONROVIA – Unarguably, Liberia navigates a fragile post-election environment which is marked by heightened political tensions and growing public frustration, and where civil society organizations are increasingly positioning themselves as counterweights to state power. Of particular concern is the debate over policing standards, judicial independence, and civic freedoms. This has intensified amid allegations that law enforcement institutions are being politicized and accountability selectively applied. Under such a climate, sustained protest movements are no longer episodic but are also evolving into organized resistance campaigns. So is the latest declaration by the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day which seems to reflect a broader shift within Liberia’s civic space, where rights-based advocacy is intersecting with demands for structural reform, international scrutiny, and nonviolent civil disobedience as tools to confront what activists describe as democratic backsliding. The Analyst reports.

The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has announced the continuation and intensification of its resistance campaign against the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, citing what it describes as persistent human rights violations, selective justice, police brutality, and a growing climate of fear and lawlessness across Liberia.

In a detailed public release issued over the weekend, STAND said it is deeply concerned by what it characterized as the government’s protection of alleged perpetrators of sexual violence, the weaponization of the Liberia National Police against peaceful citizens, entrenched corruption at senior levels of government, and worsening economic hardship facing ordinary Liberians amid what it described as excessive lifestyles among public officials.

According to the organization, Liberia is experiencing a dangerous erosion of the rule of law, civic freedoms, and institutional accountability, developments it says place the country in violation of its own Constitution and binding international human rights obligations.

Selective Justice and Police Conduct

STAND drew specific attention to the Liberia National Police’s handling of sexual violence cases, particularly its decision to publicly clear Bryant McGill of rape allegations on the basis of what police described as DNA evidence. The organization argued that such evidentiary standards are inconsistently applied, noting that other suspects accused of comparable sexual offenses are routinely arrested, detained, and prosecuted without the benefit of DNA analysis.

While reiterating its support for the arrest and prosecution of individuals credibly accused of sexual violence, including recent sodomy cases involving minors, STAND condemned what it called discriminatory law-enforcement practices that elevate politically connected suspects above the law.

The organization said such conduct violates multiple legal instruments, including the Liberian Constitution, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

STAND further argued that no police authority has the constitutional mandate to pronounce guilt or innocence in criminal matters, stressing that such determinations rest solely with courts of competent jurisdiction. Public declarations by law enforcement, it said, undermine due process and erode public confidence in the justice system.

Despite the police position, STAND noted that the accused individual remains the subject of intense public scrutiny, supported by what it described as medical and testimonial evidence. Administrative pronouncements, the group said, cannot erase the trauma allegedly suffered by a 14-year-old child.

Protest Policing and Civic Space

Beyond sexual violence cases, STAND condemned what it described as the violent repression of peaceful protests, including the use of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, excessive force, and the filing of what it termed fabricated charges against demonstrators exercising constitutional rights.

The organization cited violations of Article 21 of the Liberian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

According to STAND, the selective enforcement of public order laws—while allegedly ignoring violence by pro-government counter-protesters—reflects deliberate political bias within policing operations. It also warned against what it called the growing use of civilian provocateurs to disrupt civil society activities, describing the practice as state-orchestrated intimidation.

Leadership Accountability

STAND said the cumulative pattern of selective justice, protection of alleged perpetrators, and repression of peaceful assembly points to a failure of police leadership. It argued that the continued tenure of the Inspector General of Police under such circumstances renders the institution morally compromised and unfit to serve a democratic society.

The organization called for accountability and structural reform within the security sector to restore professionalism, neutrality, and public trust.

Foreign Policy Concerns

The group also raised alarm over Liberia’s recent diplomatic posture toward Venezuela, arguing that alignment with what it described as an authoritarian regime contradicts Liberia’s historical commitment to democratic norms, international law, and partnerships with democratic allies.

Liberia’s foreign policy, STAND said, should reflect the aspirations of its people rather than the preferences of those in power.

Call for Civil Disobedience

Citing nearly two years of advocacy and two major peaceful protests without what it described as meaningful government response, STAND announced the commencement of sustained civil disobedience. The organization said all actions would remain peaceful, lawful, and grounded in moral resistance traditions recognized under international law.

STAND also appealed to donor partners, diplomatic missions, and international human rights bodies to increase monitoring, apply pressure for accountability, and consider targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for gross human rights violations, while avoiding collective punishment of the Liberian people.

The organization concluded by urging Liberians to remain resolute and nonviolent, reaffirming its commitment to sustained resistance until constitutional order, human rights, and the rule of law are restored.