Amnesty International Ghana is demanding a full-scale independent investigation into the alleged police manhandling of protesters arrested during the recent Democracy Hub demonstration against galamsey.
The human rights organisation fears that the continuous abuse of citizens during protests could stifle the civic space before, during, and after the upcoming general elections.
Speaking to Channel One News, Country Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Genevieve Partington, called for a review of laws regarding protests in the country to ensure that the rights of citizens are not infringed.
“We are requesting a list of all detained protesters and where they are stationed so we can be granted access to them, so they receive the necessary care and basic human rights. We are also appealing that all who were unlawfully arrested be compensated according to the law of Ghana.
“An independent investigation on this matter be immediately conducted and actions taken to ensure that such injustice and inhumane treatment to citizens of the Republic of Ghana does not happen again. It’s time the government took these issues seriously and ensured law and order as we approach the elections in December,” she stated
Her call comes after close to 50 protestors who were part of the Democracy Hub were picked up by the Ghana Police Service for various violations during the anti-galamsey protest.
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, some members of a pressure group, Democracy Hub, staged a protest against illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.
The group, as part of its demand, called on the president to take immediate action to halt the operations of illegal miners.
However, the protest, which was intended to be peaceful, turned violent after some of the protesters clashed with the police.
The Ghana Police Service accused the protesters of acts of violence including blocking roads, pushing down police barriers, and obstructing traffic, during the group’s demonstration at the 37 Roundabout in Accra, leading to the arrest of over 4o protestors.
The court, on Tuesday, September 24, remanded 39 of the arrested protestors into police custody for two weeks.
