CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – The Plenary of the House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Judiciary and Ways, Mean & Finance to review and determine the fate of the current law which grant immunity to all those who took part in Liberia’s brutal civil war between 1989 and 2003.
Plenary’s took the decision on Thursday based on a request by Rep. Richard Nagbe Koon (UP, District #11, Montserrado County).
The current law which is entitled, “An Act to Grant Immunity from Both Civil and Criminal Proceedings against All Persons within the Jurisdiction of the Republic of Liberia, From Acts And Or Crimes Committed during the Civil War from December 1989 To August 2003″, was enacted in August 2003.
Records show that the controversial law was crafted by some of the drivers of these crimes, approved on August 7, 2003 and published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the next day on August 8, 2003. Perpetrators of Liberia’s civil war have used this law as a shield to prevent them from prosecution.
However, in his communication, Rep. Koon said the spirit and intent of the law which is to grant pardon to those that committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and all forms of mayhem have done more harm to the Liberian society.
He said: “During the 19 years that this law has been in existence, they have succeeded in preventing themselves from facing justice, after destroying lives and properties without remorse,” Rep. Koon stated in his communication.
He continued: “I call on this Honorable House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature to repeal the act granting amnesty to all war and economic criminals. The spirit and intent of the act has been more harmful to the Liberian society.”
Rep. Koon called on his colleagues to emulate the Uruguayan House of Representatives that voted 50-40 to revoke a 25-year-old amnesty law which prevented investigations and human rights prosecutions of military junta officials during their regime between 1973 and 1975.
Meanwhile, the communication, was forwarded to the House’s Joint Committee on Judiciary and Ways, Means and Finance to review and report to it.
It has been almost two decades since the war, which claimed the lives of at least 250,000 people, displaced millions ended. But for many of the victims, justice is elusive.