The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has expressed concern over the treatment of demonstrators from the Democracy Hub by the Ghana Police Service and Judiciary.
The party criticized the arrest of minors, a four-month-pregnant woman, and other bystanders who were not part of the protest but were caught up in the incident.
PPP condemned the Police for denying lawyers access to the arrested individuals and failing to disclose their whereabouts before presenting them in court.
The party further criticized the Judiciary, stating it was disappointing that an independent judge remanded the demonstrators, including the pregnant woman and her husband, into custody without taking their pleas.
In a statement, the PPP called on the Judiciary to protect the rights of Ghanaians, especially the vulnerable, against what it termed as the excessive power of the executive.
The party also expressed dismay that a peaceful protest against illegal mining (galamsey) attracted such harsh measures from authorities, questioning why the real perpetrators of galamsey continue to operate with impunity.
The PPP urged the immediate release of the demonstrators, arguing their continued detention is unjustified.
Read the full statement below:
To all Media Houses:
PPP CONDEMNS HIGH HANDED TREATMENT OF PROTESTORS BY THE POLICE AND JUDICIARY.
The Progressive People’s Party has noted with concerns how the Ghana Police Service and the Judiciary have dealt with the Democracy Hub demonstrators. Of much concern is the arrest of minors, as well as a 4-month-old pregnant woman and others who clearly could not have been part of the demonstration as such; but they simply found themselves at the scene and got arrested.
We condemn the refusal of the Police Administration to allow lawyers access to the arrested
persons and their failure to disclose their locations before taking them to the court on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is even very disappointing that for persons who are alleged to have been engaged in minor offences like unlawful assembly, an independent Judge decided not to even take their pleas but remanded them into prison and police custody including the 4-month-old pregnant woman and her husband who were simply bystanders but were mistakenly arrested.
We call on the Judiciary to be bold to defend the rights of all Ghanaians and the vulnerable
against the all-powerful executive authority of this country. We are worried that Galamsey seems to be winning the fight and that a mere demonstration against galamsey has attracted such high-handedness from the Police Service and the Judiciary.
What is more lawless and disorder than the galamsey activities ongoing with impunity?
We do not believe that the police are actually interested in maintaining law and order, but they are being deployed by higher authority to divert attention from the critical issues of galamsey and to abuse police powers in an attempt to instil fear into the people.
The fight against galamsey is a patriotic duty and we expect the police and the judiciary to join but not to frustrate it. We call for the immediate release of the demonstrators since their continued detention is unjustified.
#GhanaFirst
#AwakeGhana
#StopGalamseyNow
#ReleaseTheDemostratorsNow
Signed.
Richard Amarh
Executive Director
Source: Adomonline
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