Accueil » Plate-forme de Dublin » Etapes vers la protection: la deuxième Plate-forme de Dublin pour les défenseurs des droits humains, septembre 2003 » Témoignages de défenseurs des droits humains

Aloysius Toe, Liberia

‹ Alimata Coulibaly, Côte d'IvoirehautBetty Luvusia, les Îles Salomon ›

Liberia has been experiencing a bloody civil war for the past fourteen- (14) years, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed millions worth of properties. Under these circumstances, human rights violations have dramatically increased.

It is under these conditions that I have been labouring in Liberia amidst growing threats and insecurity. In my work I try to speak for the voiceless; seek justice and liberty for the oppressed; and freedom for the captives. I soon realised that the call to speak and advocate for others’ rights is often a vocation of agonies, pains and sufferings.

My experience for the defence of human rights in Liberia has been one of tragedy and horror. I had to change sleeping places and remained in hiding for many days for fear of my life due to anonymous death threats.

As a leading human rights activist in Liberia, I served in three (3) distinct capacities: As Project Officer of the nine (9) member umbrella organisation – the ‘National Human Rights Centre of Liberia’; as Secretary General of a twenty (20) member consortium ‘Liberia Coalition of Human Rights Defenders’; as Executive Director of the ‘Movement for the Defence of Human Rights’ with responsibility to monitor, document, report, campaign and advocate for human rights in Liberia.

In 2002 alone, I was arbitrarily arrested and detained twice for four (4) days and eight (8) months respectively. My ordeal with the government in 2002 alone can be summarised thus:

1. February 2002 – Chased and went into hiding for four (4) days after protesting against the arbitrary arrest and detention of Frances Johnson Morris – a Liberian female lawyer, who I had demanded be released, 2. March 2002 – Arrested then detained, for four days and tortured in police custody after protesting the abduction and demanding the release of two sisters of an opposition politician by state security, 3. April 2002 – Chased and went into hiding in neighbouring Sierra Leone after protesting the arbitrary arrest, detention and severe torture of Liberian human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe and demanding his unconditional release, 4. November 2002 –arrested then charged with trumped up treason charges and imprisoned for 8 months pending trial. My ordeal followed five months of sustained advocacy and legal campaigns against the Liberian government against the arbitrary arrest, torturous detention and incommunicado treatment of a Liberian journalist and over 40 other ethnic mandingoes. In reaction to my human rights work, 19 well-armed state police forcibly broke into and raided my home, abducted my wife and imprisoned her on October 29, 2002.

I spent eight (8) months in prison pending trial. I escaped from the prison on the morning of June 22, 2003 at 5:30 AM under a heavy down pour of rain. It happened when the prison guards abandoned the prison compound to escape the explosion of bombs, mortar shells and rocket grenades from advancing rebel forces in the vicinity of the prison.

I sought refuge at a friend’s residence where I remained for days in hiding but later moved to another location having been spotted first by government loyalists, and then due to a rocket grenade which blew up and killed a family of four right before my eyes.

With political support from the Irish Minister of State for Overseas Development and Human Rights, Tom Kitt and financial support from FRONTLINE – the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Right Defenders, I escaped from Liberia under the cover of darkness during the night of 6th July 2003 on board a tiny fishing canoe. After four days of stormy sea travel, I finally made my way to the Ivorian City of San Pedro. My home was severely looted and everything taken away. But with help from Frontline, my family has mattresses to sleep on. I can boldly proclaim that no international organization has presented to be so practical, pragmatic, responsive, undo procrastinating bureaucracy to carry defenders under threats to safety as FRONTLINE does. My heart goes to Mary Lawlor of Frontline whose care, concern and compassion for human rights defenders knows no boundary. BRAVO FRONTLINE!!!!!!.