Africa-Press – Liberia. The National Youth League of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change has called on the United Nations to investigate what it describes as the unlawful arrest and brutal treatment of the party’s National Chairman, Cllr. Janga Augustus Kowo, by officers of the Liberia National Police.
The incident occurred on Saturday, June 7 along UN Drive in Monrovia while Chairman Kowo was on his way to the Monrovia Central Prison to visit four detained lawmakers of the CDC.
According to the Youth League, the CDC Chairman was physically assaulted and forcefully placed into a police vehicle by armed officers acting under the command of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman.
Video footage of the incident, which has been widely circulated online, shows Chairman Kowo approaching the prison peacefully and engaging with police officers without resistance before being dragged away.
The Youth League argues that the incident was not only unwarranted but politically motivated and intended to intimidate opposition figures and suppress political dissent.
In its letter addressed to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Madam Christine Umutoni, the Youth League expressed alarm over what it described as a growing pattern of targeted violence and abuse by state security forces.
The group claimed that Chairman Kowo’s treatment constituted a violation of Articles 17 and 21 of the Liberian Constitution, which guarantee the right to peaceful assembly and protection from arbitrary arrest and inhumane treatment.
The letter also cited the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Liberia is a signatory, as being clearly violated in this instance.
The CDC Youth League emphasized that this incident reflects a disturbing trend within the Liberia National Police under the current administration, alleging that law enforcement is increasingly being used as a political weapon rather than a neutral security body.
They warned that such behavior could undermine Liberia’s fragile peace, referencing the country’s history of conflict and the international community’s investment in peacebuilding and democratic development.
Beyond Chairman Kowo’s case, the Youth League presented a list of past incidents that it says illustrate a broader pattern of unchecked police violence. These include the fatal shooting of three civilians in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County in February 2024, the death of Austine Yarkpawolo in April 2024, the police killings of Bangalie Kamara and Essah Massaley in February 2024, and the shooting of 17-year-old student James Kandy in July 2024. The group said these incidents, many of which remain unresolved, reveal a culture of impunity that threatens to erode public confidence in state institutions and justice mechanisms.
The Youth League urged the United Nations to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation not only into the recent arrest of Chairman Kowo but also into the broader conduct of the Liberia National Police.
It called for international oversight to ensure accountability and to help prevent the further politicization of security institutions in Liberia. The Youth League further appealed to Liberia’s development partners, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions to stand in solidarity with citizens whose rights, they believe, are increasingly under threat.
The group warned that silence or inaction in the face of growing state-sponsored abuse would send a dangerous message and could embolden further misconduct. It stressed that Liberia’s hard-earned democratic gains must not be reversed through repression and political persecution.
The League reiterated its commitment to peaceful advocacy and the rule of law but noted that continued aggression from state actors could spark tensions and instability in the already fragile political landscape.
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