Take action for Vandalark Patricks
Your Excellency,
On 1 March 2016, human rights defender Mr Vandalark Patricks was released from prison on bail, having been charged with sedition and criminal libel. He was arrested on 23 February 2016 while participating in a meeting of civil society in Monrovia.
Vandalark Patricks is a member of the Concerned Liberians against Corruption and Impunity (CLACI), where he is responsible for campaigns. CLACI is a coalition of Liberian human rights defenders that aims to address issues of corruption in Liberia and to ensure accountability for human rights violations in the country. The coalition has focused its campaigns on investigations into corruption and the pursuance of prosecutions for perpetrators of war crimes committed during the country's 14-year civil conflict.
The human rights defender was released on bail on 1 March 2016 from Monrovia Central Prison, having spent over a week in pre-trial detention. The human rights defender experienced severe difficulties in finding an agent willing to grant him the bail bond amount of 3,000 USD (approximately €2,730). When colleagues of Vandalark Patrick from CLACI approached agents on the matter, they were unsuccessful, with agents claiming that they had been warned by state agents to refuse to grant the bail bond or face consequences. On 29 February 2016, charges of sedition and criminal libel against the human rights defender were reviewed and confirmed by the Supreme Court of Liberia, in Monrovia.
The human rights defender was arrested on 23 February 2016, at approximately 2:45 pm, by armed police officers of the Liberia National Police and the National Security Agency (NSA) while participating in a meeting at a local civil society centre in Monrovia. Vandalark Patricks reported that while being taken to Monrovia Central Prison, he was injected with an unknown substance by police officers. Whilst in detention, he was denied visits from his immediate family members.
It is believed that Vandalark Patricks was arrested in connection with a communication he had read out on behalf of a consortium of civil society organisations, including CLACI, on 21 February 2016, urging civil society to take part in a march scheduled to take place on 11 March 2016 to call for justice and accountability for the killings of several human rights defenders and activists.
I am gravely concerned at the charges brought against Vandalark Patricks, which I believe to be directly motivated by his peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights and his fight against impunity following human rights violations in Liberia.
I urge the authorities in Liberia to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Vandalark Patricks, as I believe that he is being held and prosecuted solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights, and cease from any further harassment of him, judicial or otherwise;
2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of mistreatment of Vandalark Patricks whilst held in custody of national police and security agents, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Liberia are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
Sincerely,
