Monrovia, Liberia – The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) says officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) prevented its representatives from visiting former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor at the Gomez Institute of Medical Science Hospital in Congo Town.
The Commission said the attempted visit was authorized by the Ministry of Justice as part of efforts to check on Taylor, who is currently receiving medical attention at the facility.
INCHR Acting Chairperson Mohammed Fahnbulleh said the Commission was informed by the Justice Ministry that it could visit the former vice president at the hospital. However, upon arrival, police officers allegedly denied the delegation access to Taylor.
Fahnbulleh said the officers were reportedly acting on instructions from LNP Inspector General Gregory Coleman.
The reported denial comes amid heightened public attention surrounding Taylor and the ongoing national drug-related investigation, in which the former vice president has reportedly been identified as a person of interest.
The INCHR’s alleged exclusion was not the only reported restriction at the hospital.
On Thursday, opposition lawmakers, including Representatives Marvin Cole and Eugene Kollie, along with lawyers Cllr. Kabineh Mohammed Ja’neh and Kangar Findley, were also reportedly denied access to Taylor.
Other opposition figures were similarly said to have encountered restrictions when attempting to visit the former vice president.
The developments have raised questions about access to Taylor while she remains hospitalized and whether restrictions imposed on visitors are consistent with applicable legal and human rights protections.
The police and Ministry of Justice had not, at the time of publication, publicly provided a detailed explanation for the reported denial of access or clarified the specific grounds for restricting the visits.
