Democracy Hub Accuses Police of Human Rights Abuse

Pressure group Democracy Hub is accusing the Ghana Police Service of violating the fundamental human rights of protesters who were arrested and detained over the weekend for allegedly perpetrating violence.

In a press statement on Tuesday, September 24, the group said the “detained” protestors were transported from across all cells they were held to the Police Headquarters at Osu in the morning and were being denied access to their lawyers.

“The detained individuals have been separated into groups of 10 and placed in buses. They are currently being held without any official communication regarding the reasons for their arrest. Most alarmingly, these citizens are being denied access to their legal representatives, a clear violation of their fundamental rights.”

The group have therefore called on the media to intervene and highlight the conduct of the police.

It added, “Given the track record of police impunity and the apparent complicity of the state’s justice system, we cannot trust that the rights and safety of these individuals will be respected without public scrutiny. This situation underscores our deep-seated concerns about the abuse of power by law enforcement and the erosion of citizens’ rights to peaceful protest and due process.”

Democracy Hub embarked on a three-day protest against illegal mining from September 21 to September 23. On the second day, the police arrested 42 of the protesters including some leaders.

According to a statement by the police, the demonstrators unlawfully assembled at the 37 Intersection and attacked Police officers performing their lawful duties.

It said they entered a Police vehicle, removed the ignition key and threw it away, pushing down Police crash barriers, “obstructing traffic, causing unlawful damage, and disturbing the peace among others”.

Source: opemsuo.com /Hajara Fuseini