AG supports prosecution of galamsey protestors, stating its dangers to national peace

Ghana’s Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has defended the prosecution of members of the Democracy Hub, a group who protested against illegal mining in the country which resulted in unlawful incidents, myjoyonline.com has reported.

According to the AG, the actions of the protesters exceeded freedom of expression and posed a threat to public freedom.

“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 said this during his speech at the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG).

The AG pointed out how democracies address the issue of protesters who break the law.

He advised Ghanaians to promote national peace and security, ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Godfred Dame acknowledged the right to freedom of expression, highlighting that the right must be exercised responsibly in accordance with the law.

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

The AG explained that actions like that of the Democracy hub during the protest which resulted in a clash with the police, pose a threat to the nation's peace and territorial integrity.

He said, “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.”

He made reference to the United Kingdom and the United States where protesters who engage in unlawful activities like obstructing access to important services and inciting violence were held accountable by the law.

“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,” the AG stated.

The AG mentioned the case of five climate activists who were jailed for five years in the UK for causing gridlock on a motorway.

He further cited the prosecution of far-right rioters in the UK and anti-abortion activists in the US for disrupting public order under the pretence of peaceful protest.

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

Godfred Dame said that Ghana’s democracy does not allow such actions, especially in the time that the general elections draw near.

He urged the judiciary to support law enforcement officers in dealing with acts of violence and lawlessness

Reacting to concerns raised on the prosecution of Democracy Hub members, the AG asked the police to speed up investigations and consider relevant bail applications for protesters on whom enough evidence wasn’t found.

“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.

RAD/ ADG

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