The arrest of more than fifty demonstrators from Democracy Hub has been sharply criticised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), which has called it an illegal strategy used by the Ghana Police.
The demonstrators, who were protesting against galamsey, or illegal mining, were charged with disrupting traffic and closing roads.
The Ghana Police Service has been under fire from CDD-Ghana for their use of excessive force and violence, their refusal to provide the full list of people arrested, and their denial of access to legal representation.
The group denounced inmates being forcibly moved from police cells to prison without a judge’s permission and held for longer than 48 hours without being presented before a judge with the necessary authority.
According to CDD-Ghana, these acts breach the fundamental human rights of the inmates and compromise Ghana’s constitutional democracy’s rule of law, undermining public confidence in the judicial system and public institutions.
The group reminded the government of Ghana’s adherence to Article 21(1)(d) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The government and pertinent authorities were encouraged by CDD-Ghana to preserve all Ghanaians’ constitutional rights, which include the freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the avoidance of unjustified incarceration.
The organisation called on the Ghana Police Service to protect citizens’ rights, maintain public order, and adhere to the Constitution.
Read below the statement by CDD-Ghana
Source: Citinewsroom
