Ghana's Attorney General defends prosecution of Anti-Galamsey protesters

Accra, Ghana - Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has defended the government's decision to prosecute members of the Democracy Hub, a group that protested against illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, Dame emphasized that while the right to freedom of expression is fundamental, it must be exercised responsibly and within the law.

“As I always say, freedom is not free. It is accompanied by serious responsibilities,” he stated.

Mr Dame said that the recent rallies organized by the Democracy Hub, which resulted in skirmishes with police, jeopardized the nation's peace and territorial integrity.

“The lesson to be drawn from the treatment of unlawful or violent expression of free speech in the United States and the United Kingdom is that the legitimacy of the declared object of specific protests does not matter,” Mr Dame said.

“Whilst acknowledging the legitimacy of concerns which motivate some protests, the State must deplore and, in fact, prosecute acts of protestors which threaten the running of essential services, infringe on the right to free movement of others, or attack the safety of security forces.”

The Attorney General stressed that such actions have no place in Ghana’s democracy, particularly with the general elections approaching.

“Protests that disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens, attack the police, or threaten essential services cannot be justified under the banner of free expression,” Mr Dame declared.

“The peace and territorial integrity of our nation at this time, almost two months before Election 2024, is far greater than the pursuit of any parochial political goals.”

“I urge the Police Service to swiftly conclude investigations by the next adjourned dates of the cases involving the prosecution of excesses from recent protests in Accra,” he stated.