MONROVIA — The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has announced a renewed phase of resistance against the Boakai-led government, citing what it describes as persistent human rights violations, selective justice, police brutality, and the entrenchment of impunity across state institutions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 19, 2026, STAND Executive Director Mulbah K. Morlu said the organization is intensifying pressure on the government amid growing concern over the protection of alleged perpetrators of rape, the weaponization of the Liberia National Police (LNP) against peaceful citizens, worsening economic conditions, and what he termed “extravagant excesses” by public officials.
Morlu warned that Liberia is experiencing a dangerous erosion of the rule of law, civic freedoms, and institutional accountability, in direct violation of both domestic laws and international human rights obligations to which the country is a signatory.
A central pillar of STAND’s concern is what it calls selective justice within the Liberia National Police. Morlu pointed to the police decision to clear alleged rapist J. Bryant McGill based on purported DNA evidence, while suspects accused of similar sexual offenses are routinely arrested and prosecuted without the benefit of such forensic analysis.
While reaffirming support for the arrest and prosecution of anyone credibly accused of sexual violence, Morlu condemned what he described as discriminatory application of evidentiary standards. “Placing politically connected suspects above the law is a betrayal of justice and a violation of the Constitution,” he said.
According to STAND, this practice violates several legal and human rights instruments, including the Liberian Constitution, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Morlu emphasized that law enforcement authorities have no constitutional mandate to pronounce guilt or innocence in criminal matters. “Only a court of competent jurisdiction may determine liability. Any attempt by police to substitute judicial authority undermines due process and public confidence in justice institutions,” he stated.
He further noted that despite police pronouncements, the accused individual remains condemned in the court of public conscience, supported by medical records and testimonial evidence. “Administrative declarations cannot erase the trauma inflicted on a 14-year-old child whose life has been permanently altered,” Morlu said.
STAND also accused the government of complicity in secondary victimization, arguing that justice delayed or denied in cases of sexual violence amounts to state-enabled harm against survivors.
Beyond issues of sexual violence, the organization condemned what it described as the violent repression of peaceful assembly, including the use of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, excessive force, and fabricated charges against demonstrators exercising constitutionally protected rights.
Morlu said such actions violate Article 21 of the Liberian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. He accused the police of selectively enforcing public order laws while ignoring violence by regime-aligned counter-protesters.
He further warned against what STAND described as the deployment of civilian provocateurs to disrupt civil society activities, calling it a dangerous slide into state-orchestrated intimidation.
According to Morlu, the pattern of selective justice, protection of alleged rapists, defense of perpetrators of past atrocities, and violent suppression of dissent reflects a fundamental failure of police leadership. “Under these circumstances, the continued tenure of the Inspector General renders the Liberia National Police morally compromised and institutionally unfit to serve a democratic society,” he asserted.
STAND also criticized Liberia’s foreign policy direction, expressing concern over the government’s diplomatic alignment with Venezuela’s leadership. Morlu said the move contradicts Liberia’s historic commitment to democratic norms and international law.
“Liberia’s foreign policy must reflect the aspirations of its people, not the authoritarian preferences of those in power,” Morlu declared, warning that such alignments undermine the country’s democratic credentials.
The organization painted a grim picture of what it termed a multi-dimensional war against the Liberian people, citing deepening poverty and hunger, a neglected healthcare system for ordinary citizens, police brutality, and a justice system that silences rape survivors while shielding perpetrators.
Morlu described this reality as incompatible with democratic governance and human dignity, insisting that sustained resistance has become unavoidable.
Citing nearly two years of advocacy and two peaceful mass protests on July 17 and December 17, STAND said the government has refused to acknowledge or engage with legitimate public grievances, choosing instead repression and criminalization of dissent.
As a result, Morlu announced the commencement of sustained civil disobedience, grounded in nonviolent resistance and democratic principles, until the demands raised during the protests are meaningfully addressed.
“All actions shall remain peaceful, lawful, and rooted in moral resistance,” he said, emphasizing that civil disobedience is both a constitutional and moral necessity.
STAND also formally notified the international community, including donor partners and diplomatic missions, of what it described as shrinking civic space and escalating threats faced by activists and ordinary citizens.
Morlu called for enhanced international monitoring, increased pressure for accountability, and targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for gross human rights violations, stressing that any sanctions should be precise and individual-based.
In closing, STAND urged Liberians to remain resolute and peaceful in their pursuit of justice and accountable governance. “Justice is non-negotiable. Resistance remains a moral duty,” Morlu said, reaffirming the movement’s commitment to sustained, nonviolent pressure until constitutional order, human rights, and the rule of law are restored.
