Bong Citizens Demand Taylor’s Release

By Edwin N. Khakie

GBARNGA, Bong County, August 25, 2026 — The Coalition of Bong Eminent Citizens has called for the immediate release of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, accusing authorities of violating her constitutional rights and warning against what it described as “political persecution” and selective justice.

In a statement issued August 23, the group condemned Howard-Taylor’s arrest and continued detention and called on the government to allow her access to medical attention.

The Coalition maintained that Howard-Taylor’s constitutional rights, including due process, personal liberty, human dignity, equal protection and the presumption of innocence, must be respected regardless of the allegations against her in the ongoing drug investigation.

While expressing support for legitimate government efforts to investigate and combat illicit drug trafficking, the group said the fight against narcotics must be conducted within the framework of Liberian law.

The Coalition raised concerns over what it described as unequal treatment of individuals allegedly connected to the ongoing drug investigation.

It called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Howard-Taylor’s arrest, detention and treatment by authorities.

The group also demanded the establishment of an independent investigative committee involving local, international and other independent institutions to examine the case and provide what it described as credible answers to the Liberian public.

The Coalition further called for Howard-Taylor’s constitutional rights to be fully respected and said her medical needs should receive immediate attention.

It warned that the government’s campaign against illicit drugs must not be used as an instrument of political persecution or selective justice.

The group maintained that every person under investigation must receive equal protection under the law, regardless of political affiliation or status.

“Justice must be equal, or it is not justice,” the Coalition declared.

Howard-Taylor, who served as Liberia’s vice president from 2018 to 2024, has been charged in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics trafficking investigation.

She has denied involvement in drug trafficking, with her office describing the allegations against her as “baseless, unfounded, and without merit.”

The government, however, has maintained that the former vice president’s case will proceed through the judicial process as part of the broader investigation into alleged narcotics trafficking.