Liberia: Govt Human Rights Record Remains Fragile

What the report says

Liberia’s human rights situation remains fragile despite some improvement in the latest review by the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), according to a report published by the Liberian Observer and distributed by AllAfrica. The 2025 annual report says long-running problems such as police brutality, arbitrary detention, limits on peaceful assembly and alleged pressure on the press continue to expose weaknesses in the country’s justice and security institutions.

The report, launched in Monrovia on 25 August 2026, noted a mixed picture: it said there were no deaths linked to excessive force by state security personnel and no deaths in custody during the reporting period, but it flagged continued complaints about non-lethal abuses and weak accountability. Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, speaking for the government, said officials take the findings seriously and would work with the commission to improve shortcomings.

The INCHR also highlighted allegations involving the Liberia National Police, including excessive force, arbitrary arrests, prolonged pre-trial detention, and alleged interference with journalists. It cited reported incidents involving a BBC Liberia correspondent and an editor of the New Republic newspaper. The commission also raised concerns about the July 2025 “Enough is Enough” protest, where police restricted access near key government buildings. The report places these issues in the context of Liberia’s post-war recovery and its unresolved legacy of conflict-era abuses, stressing that formal constitutional protections still need stronger enforcement in practice.