By Togar Alexander Bealded
Activist, Entrepreneur & Journalist
Liberia’s Cybercrime Act was supposed to protect citizens from cyber abuse not become a tool that creates fear among citizens who criticize those in power.
The recent arrest of a young man Jerry Nyante Wratto reportedly from Grand Gedeh and based in Nimba over an AI-generated image and video involving Vice President Jeremiah Koung raises serious questions. Reports of his mistreatment, torture, humiliation and transfer to Monrovia are deeply troubling. What makes the situation even more far-fetched is the claim that the Vice President had no knowledge of the arrest and only learned about it afterward, before intervening for his release. Given that the arrest reportedly centered on content involving the Vice President himself, it is fair to ask: who initiated it, who authorized it, and how did it happen without his knowledge? The explanation leaves more questions than answers.
But the bigger question is: why does enforcement sometimes appear so fast when government officials are targeted, yet so slow when opposition figures and ordinary citizens face similar online abuse?
AI-generated sexual images involving opposition figures have circulated like one on opposition figure Susan Gbangaye while there are clear cyber bullying of ANC Political Leader Alexander Cummings all ignored or swept under the carpet all happening at the same time of the VP’s incident. Private information involving vulnerable children was published by a senior government official Mo Ali, yet the public has not seen the same level of swift enforcement.
This is where the danger lies; a law cannot be a shield for those in power and a weapon against those who challenge power.
Today it may be a youthful opposition actor,tomorrow it could be a journalist. The next day it could be an ordinary citizen who posts something the government considers offensive. We must be careful about where this road leads.
This cybercrime law must not be used to intimidate legitimate criticism, political dissent, satire or journalism. If the law is legitimate, let it be applied equally. If someone commits a crime, prosecute them. If they do not, leave them alone, regardless of which side of the political aisle they occupy.
Liberia fought too hard for this democracy given the blood and sweat of many for us to become comfortable with selective justice.
This is not only about that young man who was arrested, it is about all of us.
We cannot sit idly while the government and its officials who do most of the bullying get to decide who deserves protection and who deserves punishment, eventually, one of us could be next.
#Liberia #RuleOfLaw #FreedomOfExpression #FreePress #Democracy #CybercrimeAct #JusticeForAll #LiberiaRising #StandForDemocracy #WeAreAllAtRisk
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