MONROVIA, Aug. 14 -- For months, the date August 13 had been viewed by supporters of Justin Oldpa Yeazehn, widely known as "Prophet Key," as the day the controversial social media commentator would finally leave the Monrovia Central Prison.

By Willie N. Tokpah & Selma Lomax

The date represented the end of a six-month chapter that began with one of the most consequential contempt proceedings involving a Liberian social media personality. Yet, as the anticipated release date arrived, the expectation of freedom collided with a more complicated legal reality.

Prophet Key's case has entered a stage in which the expiration of his custodial sentence is only one part of the equation. The Supreme Court of Liberia attached additional obligations...