Nearly seven in 10 Liberian prisoners still await trial
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Liberian Investigator
In Liberia, 2,848 of the 4,125 people held in prison in September 2026 had not been tried, Justice Minister-designate Betty Lamin Blamo said. She promised to review the files of defendants and have each tried or released in accordance with the law, according to statements before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Nearly seven in 10 prisoners in Liberia’s prisons have not yet been tried, amounting to 2,848 people out of 4,125 in September 2026. Justice Minister-designate Betty Lamin Blamo announced on Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee that she would examine the file of every detained defendant, according to The Liberian Investigator.
At Monrovia Central Prison, 1,312 of the 1,888 inmates, or more than 69%, are awaiting trial. Betty Lamin Blamo promised that the state would prosecute or release the people concerned in accordance with the law. She specified that most are being prosecuted for offences that do not allow bail, notably armed robbery, statutory rape, murder and drug-related crimes.
The minister-designate cited the case of about 200 people accused of armed robbery in Montserrado County. Their cases all fall under Criminal Court D, which sits four times a year for 42 days and, at its current pace, handles only about 20 cases a year. She asked the Senate to extend the length of court sessions and wants to increase magistrates’ hearings as well as legal aid.
The announcement came on the day the Liberian Senate warned about the state of the country’s prisons. This warning about overcrowded and insanitary prisons was published on 26 October.
