Monrovia – The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has said it is not silent about the call of some Liberians for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in the country.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., [email protected]
The INCHR, through one of its commissioners, Wilfred Gray-Johnson, said in the coming weeks, the Commission will come up with its position on the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia that is being advocated for by Liberians.
“Absolutely, we are not silent on the call for the establishment of a war crimes court in Liberia. We are holding discussions with relevant stakeholders and institutions responsible. We will in the next few weeks after meeting with all our partners and stakeholders, come up with our position on the establishment of war crimes court,” he expressed.
He spoke with FrontPageAfrica at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on strengthening Institutional Capacity of the INCHR to Ensure the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
The workshop brought together transitional justice working groups for training and revitalization at a local hotel in Sinkor.
Commissioner Gray-Johnson acknowledged with respect the call by Liberians for the setting up of war and economics crimes court in Liberia.
“The calls coming from some of our brothers calling for prosecution are welcoming; we need the discussions to be held. We should also look at whatever the ramifications that will be associated with whatever form of justice that we would take moving forward,” he said.
Discussions on the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia have for the past weeks and months taken center stage on radios, newspapers and social media. Some Liberians are calling for the prosecution of people who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, through the establishment of a war and economic crimes court.
Liberians from all walks of life and advocacy institutions have all provided diverse views. One of the campaigning groups, “Citizens of the Republic of Liberia,” petitioned the Legislature to make it possible for the establishment of the court.
The petitioners believe until the main instigators of the war and perpetrators of atrocities face justice, the country would not be truly reconciled.
The group has written several human rights groups and institutions, including the Office of the United States President, the United Nations Human Rights Office in Liberia and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), among others.
The head of one of the groups calling for war crimes court, Fubbi Henries, expressed disappointment in the INCHR for not coming up with a clear position on the establishment of the court in Liberia.
“Our disappointment is about the Independent National Commission on Human Rights that we believe is supposed to be championing the cause for the establishment of this court, but they are silent. They are responsible to implement the TRC recommendations, but they are refusing to talk anything even though we have written them,” Fubbi explained.
Commissioner Wilfred Gray-Johnson admitted that the INCHR was written for its position on the establishment of war crime court by the group’s head, Henries.
“I am of the opinion the Commission has responded to him formally; the letter went to the Vice Chair who is the Acting Chair of the Commission, he receives all of the letters and acts on them,” he said.
Mr. Gray-Johnson said the Commission has not yet come up with any collective or definitive position, saying, “The commission is very careful on what it says in terms of her position. Certainly, over the next few weeks the Commission will come up with a clear position,” he said.
He further stated that the Commission is currently working on a draft report on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) recommendations to be submitted to the President.
Upon the submission of said report to President George Weah, it will be the fifth report in total that will be submitted but will be the first report for the Weah-led government.
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf submitted four different TRC reports to the legislature before leaving office, the first report was submitted in August 2009, the second submitted in January 2010, while the third submitted in November 2014 and the last submitted in December 2015 after the Ebola crises.
According to the INCHR, the four reports that were submitted by the former President were not written by them, instead, the reports were grafted by committees setup by the former President, without involving them (INCHR).
The fifth report, when submitted by President Weah’s administration, will be the first of its kind for the CDC government.
INCHR was established by an Act of the National Legislature in 2005 as the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights in Liberia.
