STOP THE WITCH-HUNT!

PRESS STATEMENT

STOP THE WITCH-HUNT!

The Concerned Grand Gedeans in the Americas are appalled by the continuous holding of seven Grand Gedeans in detention without charges. We believe this is shed witch-hunt and a recipe for chaos. Grand Gedeans are fed up with this attitude of the Sirleaf Administration to unjustifiably victimize their sons for something that the Government is incapable of proving in the court of law.

Liberia Defense Minister Brownie Samukai told the public recently that Liberia was not involved in the crisis in the la Cote d’Ivoire, and warned that neighboring country to stop pointing accusing fingers at Liberia. That was a salient statement coming from the man who sits on top of military information. We believe every word of his, and we too have no reason to believe that Liberians have anything to do with the sporadic attacks in la Cote d’Ivoire.

While we condemn any and all attempts by vicious and callous individuals causing trouble in the Ivory Coast, we cannot allow that country to drag our people into their internal mess, created and nurtured by themselves. They are biting their own fingers and we don’t see how Liberia will be embroiled with the Ivorian infighting. Even more appalling the loss of lives in all those intermittent attacks along the Liberia-Ivory coast border areas, in Yopougon in Abidjan, in Arkoudo near Abidjan and other areas when dissident forces have been attacking.

However, even though the government of Liberia says Liberia is not involved in the Ivorian crisis, the government is still holding in secret cells seven (7) Grand Gedeans arrested and detained more than four weeks ago. Nezee Barway, Isaac Taryon, Michael Cole, Bobby Sarpee, and three others were arrested in connection with the Ivorian crisis. The Grand Gedeans have been in jail for more than four weeks without charges, lest to talk about being tried in a court of competent jurisdiction.  This is not only a gross violation of the rights of those victims of brute power, but it is also a violation of the Constitution of Liberia. The Constitution provides that a suspect arrested for alleged crimes must be charged and sent to court within 48 hours. In these Grand Gedeans’ case, they have been in detention for 672 hours now without charges. This is unacceptable, and we condemn the government’s action to victimize these citizens.

We want to say here in no uncertain terms that the Government of Liberia is witch-hunting Grand Gedeans. This is not the first time the Government has arrested and detained Grand Gedeans for prolonged period of time without charges. The Sirleaf Administration ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to arrest of Col (rtd) Andrew Dorbor who was then residing in Abidjan, la Cote d’Ivoire. Government security brought him down to Monrovia under a different name and jailed him at the NSA for six (6) months without charges. The Government also jailed the late Charles Julu for three (3) months at the same NSA without charges. When the media forced the government to take them to court, the government did and lost the case because it had absolutely no evidence to prosecute them.

Here we are again with seven people, all of them Grand Gedeans jailed for more than four weeks without charges. This case is no different from the Dorbor and Julu case. The Government of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is doing everything within her power to victimize Grand Gedeans because of political differences. We believe Madam Sirleaf is paying Grand Gedeans back because they did not support her presidency in the 2005 and 2011 general and presidential elections. It is wrong for the President to think that everybody will subscribe to her politics. Grand Gedeans don’t support people who are vindictive.

We call on President Sirleaf to stop witch-hunting Grand Gedeans. We are people of peace and we believe Liberians have gone through so much that it is un-necessary for the government of Liberia to single out one group of people and harass, intimidate and witch-hunt them. We are demanding the unconditional release of those seven Grand Gedeans without further delay.

We are even more concerned with news that those detainees are being tortured by government security forces. Beside some physical and psychological torture, and the government is said to be denying them food. Our inside sources have said that the detainees are being fed with crumbs and that sometime they do not eat for an entire day. This is wickedness. The detainees had complained of severe hunger to their family members through third party. Deputy Police Commissioner Abraham Kromah has confirmed that the detainees had not been fed.

The Sirleaf Administration crossed the line and Madam Sirleaf will be held personally responsible for the safety of the seven Grand Gedeans. The people of Grand Gedeah have exercised extreme tolerance and patients not out of weakness, but out of strength. The people of Grand Gedeh County will hold President Sirleaf, her children and her children’s children accountable if anything happens to those sons of Grand Gedeh. Even if it takes hundred years, the Sirleaf family will pay dearly for their iniquities against the people of Grand Gedeh County, as that will be paying in the Sirleafs’ own coin.

We call on all journalists, human rights groups, and all peoples of peace to pressure the Sirleaf Administration to release our brothers from further detention. It is a gross violation to keep them in jail, while government looks for evidence to prosecute them in the future. Already, they have been victimized for more than four weeks, they can take no more, and we are appalled by the Government’s action.

Gibson W. Jerue

For and on behalf of Concerned Grand Gedeans in the Americas