“Highly consistent with allegation of torture.” 

An independent medical examination conducted on defendants in the ongoing Capitol Building arson trial, consistent with the UN- Istanbul Protocol, has established injuries and trauma sustained from torture of defendants.

Monrovia, September 23, 2025: The examination, which was conducted in accordance with the UN Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, noted that medical examinations were consistent with the defendant’s claims.

The Independent Medical Test and examination were conducted on September 16, 2025, by Dr. Philip Zochonis Ireland, BSc, MD, MPH, MASt (Clinical Endocrinology), who stated that the defendants had given fully informed written consent for the examination. 

The defendants’ claims and allegations:

 Defendant Jerry Poka, 40, claimed he received injuries from tightened handcuffs, his head was bashed several times, sustained bilateral sole beatings (falanga). He also sustained a right upper arm injury and a cut injury when he was thrown against a doorknob, among other forms of torture. But he denied being sexually assaulted and sodomized.

In his opinion, following Jerry’s examination, Dr. Ireland stated that the skin lesions observed on the wrist, finger, and upper arm of  Jerry were consistent with the defendant’s allegation of torture and blunt trauma.

Defendant Eric Susay, 40, reports that he was allegedly apprehended, arrested, and then interrogated. He alleges that he was beaten with handcuffs and guns. He also claims he was blindfolded for 2 days. He alleges that during that brutality, he sustained left shoulder injury and injuries to his right arm and hand. He denied sexual assault and sodomy.

In his medical opinion on Eric, Dr. Ireland explained in his report that the physical finding of left shoulder disfigurement is highly consistent with the patient’s account of injury following beating with blunt objects.

Defendant Thomas Etherige, 40, alleges that he was severely beaten with handcuffs and sustained neck pain. He further asserts that he was punched in the eye, stripped naked, and beaten with batons, while being repeatedly slapped in the face. He further reported that he was subjected to generalized physical assault, including trauma to multiple body regions. He denies sexual assault and sodomy.

In his medical opinion on Thomas’s claim, Dr. Ireland explained that the irregular cardiac rhythm, history of blunt trauma, and ongoing psychological manifestations are highly consistent with the patient’s allegations of torture and ill-treatment.

The order for the defendants to undergo a medical examination at AMI Expeditionary Healthcare was issued by Criminal Court “A” and excepts to Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie after the defense lawyers expressed their concern about JFK.

He noted that AMI operates under international standards and, therefore, should be trusted to conduct a neutral assessment.

Judge Willie ordered that all defendants be taken to AMI at the expense of the Ministry of Justice for a complete medical examination. He further mandated that the medical reports be submitted to the Court by September 17, 2025, to enable a ruling on the pending Motion to Suppress Evidence.

Despite the ruling, defense lawyers immediately objected, insisting that AMI’s contractual ties with the government made it no different from JFK. They maintained that the Court’s ruling was unjust, prejudicial, and undermined the rights of the accused.

Meanwhile, the report comes days after a delegation from the UN Human Rights Commission departed the country after holding talks with relevant institutions, including the country’s Independent National Commission on Human Rights. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.