Gbarnga, Bong County — Human rights lawyer Jeremiah S. Dugbo, has secured the release of at least nine young men who had been held in prolonged pretrial detention at the Gbarnga Central Prison following legal intervention he undertook during this festive season.
The detainees — aged between 19 and 30 and born between 1994 and 2005 — had been accused largely of minor offenses but remained incarcerated for months and, in some cases, years due to their inability to afford legal representation. Dugbo said their continued detention violated constitutional guarantees of due process and the right to a speedy trial.
Dugbo disclosed on his official Facebook page, minutes after his legal intervention that he appeared before the court and formally invoked the detainees’ constitutional rights, citing relevant statutes and rules of court. He said the court subsequently agreed with his arguments and ordered the immediate release of the individuals.
“Many of these young men were not in prison because the State was actively pursuing justice,” Dugbo said. “They were there simply because their families lacked the means to hire lawyers and their cases were abandoned after initial charges were filed.”
He highlighted one case which he described as particularly troubling: a young man identified only as John, who was accused in a dispute involving a rooster and had spent nearly a year in prison without a single court hearing.
Dugbo said, prior to his intervention, he had spent two days in Gbarnga coordinating with judicial authorities, prosecutors, and prison officials to facilitate the releases. He noted that limited time and other professional commitments in Monrovia prevented him from assisting additional detainees.
Moreover, the lawyer expressed hope that the released individuals would recover from the psychological effects of incarceration and reintegrate positively into society.
“Freedom is the greatest gift of all,” Dugbo said, describing the effort as a deliberate decision to give differently during the Christmas season.
The release of the detainees has renewed attention on prolonged pretrial detention in Liberia, particularly involving individuals accused of minor offenses who lack access to legal counsel.
