FIND WANTS IVORIAN REFUGEES RELEASED

The Foundation for International Dignity (FIND) has expressed serious concern over the reported arrest, flogging and detention of several Ivorian Refugees by the Liberia National Police (LNP) backed by the Nepalese Contingent of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

The Ivorian Refugees, according to report, on Monday, December 4, 2006 staged a peaceful protest at the premises of the UNHCR in demand of their benefits when the LNP officers with the backing of the Nepalese Contingent of UNMIL moved on them in a bid to quell their action.

But UNMIL authorities have termed the protesters’ action as illegal, saying the protesters are not bonifide Ivorian Refugees. During the incident, the report indicated that several of the protesters were arrested, flogged and detained by the police.

Twenty of the protesters sustained serious injuries and were seeking treatment at the M S F Hospital in Mamba Point. In a press statement issued in Monrovia Tuesday, FIND described the reported action by the police and the UNMIL officers against the refugees some of whom included pregnant women and children as “inhumane, barbaric and heartless”.

FIND in the press release further described the reported action as a violation of the UN Convention and Protocols on the status of displace person which accords all rights to refugees as an inalienable entitlement of all human beings.

“Refugees are classified as vulnerable and it requires under international legal instrument that the states accord them appropriate protection rather then subjecting them to conditions that degrade them and demean their human dignity”, the rights group pointed out in the press release.

“We want to call on all well meaning Liberians including human rights, pro- democracy institutions and civil society organizations to condemn the reported action by the police and UNMIL officers against the protesters”, FIND pointed out.

Meanwhile, FIND has called on the government via the Ministry of Justice to unconditionally release the Ivorian Refugees who are in detention aimed at restoring their fundamental liberties.“We hope that the government will see wisdom in our call and release the detained Ivorian Refugees.

Anything to contrary, we will be constrained to seek legal redress to secure the release of the refugees”, FIND among other things added.