Liberia warlord 'Jungle Jabbah' jailed for 30 years in the US
Mohammed Jabbateh, the Liberian warlord known as “Jungle Jabbah”, was
sentenced on Thursday to 30 years in prison, culminating a landmark case in the
United States and marking a long-overdue milestone for justice in Liberia.
Thirty years is the maximum sentence he could have received and one of the
longest prison sentences for immigration fraud in US history.
On 18 October, 2017, a Philadelphia jury convicted Mohammed
Jabbateh of fraud and perjury for lying on his US immigration application about
his connection to war crimes.
According to the indictment, the rebel commander personally
committed, or ordered his soldiers to commit, barbaric acts of violence,
torture, cannibalism and human rights abuses in the First Liberian Civil War
(1989-1997). Yet, for decades afterwards, he lived freely in the Philadelphian
community known as “Little Liberia” until his arrest in April
2016.
During the three-week trial in Philadelphia, prosecutors
flew in more than 15 witnesses from Liberia to tell their stories of atrocities
committed by Jabbateh and fighters under his command. This was the first time
that victims of the First Liberian Civil War had the chance to testify in front
of a criminal judge. Civitas
Maxima and its sister organisation,
the Global Justice and Research
Project (GJRP), have collaborated
with US authorities on the investigation since 2014 and called the sentencing a
milestone for global justice and human rights.
“Liberian victims have been waiting for more than 15 years
to see their perpetrators held accountable. The Jungle Jabbah conviction and
sentence are a testament to the unwavering commitment and resilience of the
victims who are making their voices heard not only within Liberia but also
globally”, said Hassan Bility, director of the GJRP and a survivor of torture
himself.
Alain Werner, director of Civitas Maxima, in Geneva
Switzerland, said:
“For years we have been working tirelessly to pursue
justice for victims of the most atrocious crimes. Astonishingly, Liberian
victims have been denied justice in their own country so they had to find access
to justice elsewhere. The Jungle Jabbah case is an expression
of these efforts.”
The fact that Jabbateh was convicted and that victims were
heard represents a milestone for Liberia where, after two brutal civil wars
which left more than 200,000 dead, nobody was ever held accountable for war-time
atrocities. The overwhelmingly positive reactions to the Jungle Jabbah
conviction and to the Liberian
Quest for Justice campaign have shown that the majority of
Liberians want justice.
“A victim-led movement in favour of accountability for
Liberia is clearly in motion. The quest to end impunity in Liberia has just
begun”, said Bility.
Many alleged Liberian war criminals are still living their
lives as if nothing happened. Some even hold powerful positions in government,
hampering trust in public institutions and hindering sustainable
reconciliation.
Bility went on to explain:
“Victims had to watch some perpetrators gain positions of
power. Our post-war politicians have not listened to the victims’ cries. This
will have to change. Our hope still remains to see these trials take place in
Liberia, so victims of war crimes from all over the country can witness the
proceedings.”
“The Jungle Jabbah case is the first in a series of cases
tried outside of Liberia that we have been working on, which show that impunity
does not have to be the norm,” said Werner.
Civitas Maxima and the GJRP will be leading outreach
campaigns and monitoring the upcoming trials of alleged Liberian war criminals
expected to happen in 2018 and 2019.
They have launched a crowdfunding campaign for the continued
support of Liberian victims in their fight for justice.
DM
The Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP) is a
Liberia-based non-profit, non-governmental organisation that documents war
crimes and, where possible, seeks justice for victims of these crimes, with the
full consent of the victims
Source: Daily Maverick
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