Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has explained that the decision to prosecute members of the Democracy Hub who engaged in the ‘stop galamsey now’ protest is because they posed a threat to public safety.
His remarks were in response to some Ghanaians who are calling for the release of the protestors, who are fighting against illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) on today, October 2, 2024 Mr Dame noted that their actions went beyond freedom of expression.
The police had earlier noted that the protestors engaged in road blockages and attacked security personnel which infringe on the rights of others.
Mr Dame said “As I always say, freedom is not free. It is accompanied by serious responsibilities. 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”.
He explained that in the UK and US protestors who engage in infringement of the right to free movement of others, or attack the safety of security forces are always made to face the full rogues of the law.
Mr Dame remarked that “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.”
He emphasized that “Protests that disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens, attack the police, or threaten essential services cannot be justified under the banner of free expression. 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.”
However, he further added he has instructed the Police Service to expedite investigations.
“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” Mr Dame stated.
