   |
|
afrol News, 5 November - Aloysius Toe, a leading Liberian human rights activist was arrested yesterday and charged with treason. Authorities allegedly have found documents linking him to the armed opposition Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). Aloysius Toe is a leading member of the National Human Rights Centre, Secretary General of the Liberia Coalition of Human Rights Defenders and Executive Director of the Movement for the Defence of Human Rights (MODHAR). Following his arrest, Mr Toe was brought before a magistrate's court and charged with treason, a charge which precludes the possibility of bail. A ruling by the judge on whether to hold a preliminary hearing was adjourned until tomorrow and Mr Toe has now been imprisoned in the Central Prison in Monrovia, according to reports from Liberia. He was arrested after he emerged from almost a week in hiding. In the early hours of 29 October, his home was raided by police and his wife, Vivian Toe, was arrested. She was released later the same day. The authorities announced that Aloysius Toe was wanted in connection with documents found in his home which, they alleged, linked him to the LURD rebels that have been engaged in armed conflict with government forces since 1999. The human rights group Amnesty International today called on the Liberian government to immediately release Mr Toe. "Aloysius Toe has done nothing but work legitimately for the defence of fundamental human rights in Liberia," the group said. "There is no basis to the charge against him and he must be immediately and unconditionally released." Amnesty links the arrest of Mr Toe to a pattern of the Liberian government in "attempting to silence its critics." Three other leading human rights activists had also been arrested on 29 October, but were then released without charge by 1 November. According to the group, these latest arrests, culminating in the charge of treason against Aloysius Toe, "follow a campaign launched on 25 October by the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, which brings together 19 human rights organisations, to secure the release of two of their colleagues, Hassan Bility and Sheikh K.M. Sackor, who have been held incommunicado without charge or trial for several months." The arrests on 29 October had followed a radio broadcast as part of the campaign. In Liberia, human rights defenders have repeatedly been victims of arbitrary arrest and detention. The government has accused them of spreading false information intended to "tarnish the image" of Liberia within the international community and, more recently, of being members or supporters of the LURD. Aloysius Toe, and other colleagues at the National Human Rights Centre, had earlier been arrested and detained for four days in March this year, following the imposition of a state of emergency the previous month which remained in force until September. Hassan Bility, a journalist with 'The Analyst' newspaper and human rights defender, has been held incommunicado and without charge or trial since his arrest on 24 June and Sheikh Sackor, Executive Director of Humanist Watch, since 25 July. The government accused them of belonging to the LURD and initially said that they would be tried under military jurisdiction. No charges have, however, been brought against them yet, they have had no access to defence lawyers and have yet to be brought before any court. On 23 October, the Minister of National Defence announced that a military tribunal had convened and concluded that they were "prisoners of war". The government subsequently announced on 28 October 2002 that they were to be released, but under certain conditions; however, they remain in incommunicado detention. - The Liberian authorities must end their persistent and unlawful attacks on the human rights community, which show complete disregard for both national and international human rights provisions, Amnesty said today. Sources: Based on Amnesty and afrol archives
|