U.S. Congressman Chris Smith has welcomed Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi’s appointment as Executive Direct of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWC).
This indicates that the latest appointment of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi has been met with satisfaction from leading human rights, civil society, and legal actors in and out of Liberia. The latest among them is U.S. Congressman Chris Smith who has been a leading voice for justice and accountability in Liberia.
In a statement published on his official website, Congressman Smith, who chairs the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, extolled President Joseph Boakai for his timely appointment of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes.
“With this critical appointment, President Boakai continues to show his commitment and eagerness for justice,” said Smith.
“His expeditious pursuit of accountability for the people of Liberia has strong support here in the U.S. Congress, and we will continue to support him when he stays the course for justice in the face of the inevitable pushback from those guilty of crimes or trying to undermine the process,” Congressman Smith said.
The statement said that Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi’s appointment comes on the heels of a U.S. congressional hearing chaired by Smith last week that examined the next steps toward accountability for those responsible for the egregious human rights violations suffered by hundreds of thousands of Liberians in recent decades.
According to Congressman Smith, Cllr. Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes is tasked with establishing a court that will bring to justice individuals who committed untold human rights abuses—with near-complete immunity to date—during Liberia’s civil wars between 1989 and 2003, when 250,000 Liberians died from fighting, and thousands more were conscripted as child soldiers, raped, suffered loss of limb, and endured other traumatic experiences.
“The people of Liberia—who suffered brutal human rights violations and economic crimes for so many years—deserve nothing less than justice,” U.S. Congressman Smith said.
