The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD- Ghana) has condemned what it terms the unlawful tactics by the Ghana Police Service in the arrest and detention of democracy hub protesters.
The Protesters numbered over forty (40) were arrested and detained for engaging in various unlawful acts during a demonstration at the 37 intersection in Accra.
According to a signed release by CDD- Ghana’s senior Programs Officer for Human Rights and Social Inclusion, Dr. Micheal Augustus Akagbor, these individuals were demonstrating against critical national issues, including the rising incidence of state capture, widespread corruption, and unchecked illegal small- scale mining (galamsey, which is destroying the country’s water bodies.
CDD says the actions by the Ghana Police Service undermines Article 14 of the 1992 constitution, especially.
‘’ The unnecessary manhandling and brutality of citizens exercising their civic and political rights to protest, the refusal by the police to release the complete list of arrested individuals, the ongoing denial of access to legal counsel for detainees, indirect violation of Article 14 (2) of the constitution’’.
‘’we remind the government and relevant authorities that Ghana is a signatory to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which upholds the right to peaceful assembly under Article 21.’’
The statement called on the Ghana Police Service to fulfil their duty to protect, not to oppress citizens.