Tortured, Silenced, and Denied Bail Bond: The Heartbreaking Ordeal of Tom Etheridge—Barred from Saying a Final Goodbye to His Deceased Mother

Michael T
Jun 30
3 min read

IN PHOTO: Tom’s deceased mother above; Tom escorted by sheriff and police below

Tom Etheridge’s story is a heartbreaking illustration of the depths to which political persecution and abuse of power can descend in Liberia. Accused of involvement in the arson attack on the Capitol Building—a crime for which he maintains his innocence—Etheridge was arrested in early 2025 and subjected to a harrowing ordeal at the hands of state security forces. The charges against him have been widely questioned by critical voices and human rights advocates, who argue that the evidence is flimsy and that the arrest is part of a broader campaign to silence opposition voices.

From the moment of his arrest, Etheridge described being subjected to physical and psychological torture. He recounted being taken to undisclosed locations, beaten, and threatened with sexual violence unless he signed a false confession. Multiple sources have corroborated these allegations, though the government has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Etheridge’s lawyer and sympathizers have condemned his treatment as a blatant violation of his rights, emphasizing that he is innocent until proven guilty and that no one should be subjected to such inhumane conditions.

Despite repeated appeals from his legal team, the government rejected multiple applications for a bond that would have allowed Tom to be temporarily released to the custody of his lawyers. This refusal, even for the briefest respite, further showed the administration’s determination to keep him in custody under harsh conditions for an allegedly bogus arson case that some say was orchestrated by the government itself to implicate former Speaker Koffa and other opposition Lawmakers.

But the cruelty did not end with his detention; Tom Etheridge was denied the most basic human dignity—the right to bury his mother. While languishing in custody, his mother passed away, and despite pleas from his family and legal team, the government refused to allow him to attend her funeral. This denial of a son’s final farewell is not only a personal tragedy for Etheridge and his family but a damning indictment of the current administration’s disregard for humanity and due process.

This episode is emblematic of a disturbing pattern under President Joseph Boakai’s government, where security forces are accused of acting as instruments of political repression rather than guardians of the law. The targeting of Etheridge—a staffer for an opposition leader—fits within a broader narrative of crackdowns on dissent, arbitrary arrests, and the use of torture to extract confessions and intimidate critics. Civil society organizations and international watchdogs have documented a surge in human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and the suppression of journalists and activists.

The refusal to allow Etheridge to bury his mother, coupled with the government’s rejection of multiple bonds for his temporary release, is not just a bureaucratic oversight—it is a deliberate act of cruelty, designed to break his spirit and send a message to others who might dare to challenge the government. It is a hint of how far Liberia’s leaders are willing to go to consolidate power, even at the expense of basic decency and the rule of law.

The suffering of Tom Etheridge and others like him is a direct result of a government that has chosen fear and repression over legitimacy and justice.

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