Widespread torture reported among security forces

Amnesty International (AI), has accused Liberian security forces of commiting widespread human rights violations, including torture, repression and rape and castigated the government for lack of justice for the victims.

"The security forces have targeted critics of the government, including students, journalists and human rights defenders, and used torture as a weapon of repression," the organisation said in a report issued on Monday ahead of the UN Security Council's debate on Liberia this month.

"In a rare event that human rights violations are investigated by the authorities, the inquiries are a sham and suspects are seldom, if ever, brought to justice," AI said.

The organisation noted that in recent months, dozens of women fleeing insecure areas in northern Liberia have reported being tortured by the security forces, including being repeatedly raped or gang-raped, and being threatened with death.

"Also alarming is the systematic torture used by the security forces to punish criminal suspects," it added.

The organisation urged the international community to continue to pressure the Liberian government to end impunity and bring human rights violators to justice.

It has also called on the UN to deploy international human rights observers with a mandate to monitor and publicly report on the human rights situation.