Liberia: Leading Rights Lawyer Tortured by Police

Leading Rights Lawyer Tortured by Police

(New York, April 26, 2002) -- One of Liberia’s most prominent human
rights lawyers, Tiawan Gongloe, has been brutalized in police custody
and is hospitalized as a result, Human Rights Watch said today. Police
guards remain near his hospital bed, and the police director has
announced that Mr. Gongloe remains in police custody without charge
pending an investigation.

“The government of Charles Taylor is using violence to silence
independent voices speaking out about Liberia’s deteriorating human
rights record,” said Peter Takirambudde, Executive Director of Human
Rights Watch’s Africa division. “President Taylor is tightening his
repressive grip, and Liberians who call on the government to respect
human rights are getting in his way.”

Although no charges have been brought, Mr. Gongloe appears to have been
arrested in connection with a speech he gave at a March 2002 conference
in neighboring Guinea on peace in the Mano River Union. The speech
dealt with ways in which civil society groups could play a role in the
attainment of peace in the Mano River Union, and condemned the use of
violence as a means to state power (a copy of the conference paper can
be found at http://www.newdemocrat.org/other/Gonloecivilsociety.htm).
The same day as Mr. Gongloe’s arrest, the government ordered the closure
of The Analyst newspaper, which had just printed the speech made by Mr.
Gongloe.

Mr. Gongloe is well known for his representation of clients in human
rights cases, and for speaking out against security force abuses. On
April 24, Mr. Gongloe was stopped in his car by police officer Dolo
Mark, arrested, and taken to the police headquarters around 5:00 pm. At
the police station, he was interrogated about the statement he had made
at the conference in Guinea.

After briefly being questioned, he was stripped nude and placed in the
police cells in the basement. Two plainclothes police officers in the
cell proceeded to severely beat and kick him through the night. They
also threatened him, telling him he was a dissident whom they would deal
with, and that they would kill him. In the morning, he was taken again
for questioning, but was unable to stand or sit as a result of his
injuries. Lawyers who had been notified of Mr. Gongloe’s whereabouts
pressured the police to hospitalize Mr. Gongloe. Mr. Gongloe is
currently at Cooper Hospital where he is receiving treatment. As a
result of the torture, Mr. Gongloe has lost some hearing in his left
ear, his left eye is swollen and bloodied, and his head and body are
badly bruised.

Two police officers remain on guard outside his hospital room. On April
25, the Police Director Paul Mulbah reportedly made a statement on radio
saying that Mr. Gongloe remained in police custody while police
investigations continued.

“Clearly, Mr. Gongloe remains at great risk of further police brutality
and harassment,” said Takirambudde. “President Charles Taylor must
immediately end this harassment and intimidation of rights activists.”

This incident is the most recent in a spate of arrests carried out by
the government since it imposed a state of emergency on February 8,
2002. In the face of renewed rebel action and negative international
publicity, the government of President Charles Taylor has become
increasingly intolerant of criticism. In particular, the government has
intensified its harassment and intimidation of the independent press,
civil society groups, and legitimate political opposition groups.

For further information, please contact:
In Boston, Binaifer Nowrojee: +1-617-493-2990
In London, Bronwen Manby: +44-20-7241-0309

--
Jeff Scott
Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
Phone: +1-212-216-1834
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
http://www.hrw.org/africa/index.php
en français, http://www.hrw.org/french/africa/