GJA condemns police attack on Journalists

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has strongly condemned the attack on journalists particularly, the Daily Guide photographer, Gifty Lawson and others who were covering the court proceedings at an Accra Human Rights Court in Accra on Thursday.

The association has, therefore, petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Quaye to order an immediate investigation into the matter.

The GJA said: “We consider the nature of the assault and detention of a journalist and other persons performing their lawful duties to be exceptionally violent and too difficult to comprehend.”

These were contained in a release issued and signed by the Vice President, Mr Affail Monney, copied to GNA in Accra.

The release noted that no assault on any media personnel could be justified, and that ”Assault at the court, regardless of its nature is an indication that there are still people and institutions that are not only highly intolerant of the media, but also ready to deal with them ruthlessly and with impunity. This does not augur well for our democracy”.

GJA condemned the attack and called for immediate release of all those who were arrested at the court premises and urged the IGP to call his men at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to order.

The statement said: “The media are indispensable to the building of democracy. We therefore wish to appeal to all security agencies to educate their personnel on the need to preserve press freedom and freedom of expression and to restrain their men from carrying out such acts of unwarranted attack and intimidation which undermine democracy.”

The GJA asked all media personnel, especially, journalists on assignments, not to engage in activities that might bring them into conflict with law enforcement agencies.