The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the handling and remand of 39 Democracy Hub protesters by the Accra Circuit Court, accusing the government of unjust treatment.
The protesters were demonstrating against illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana when they were arrested by the police.
The NDC described the government’s actions as despotic and demanded the immediate discontinuation of the prosecution of the protesters.
In a statement released on September 25, 2024, the NDC expressed concern over the treatment of the protesters by the Ghana Police Service.
According to the party, the protesters were “manhandled” by officers for participating in a three-day protest against illegal mining, which has wreaked havoc on Ghana’s environment under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
“The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms the high-handedness of the Ghana Police Service and their evil collaborators in the despotic Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. It is reprehensible for the Police to subject civilian protesters who are merely expressing their anger against the vexed matter of illegal mining, to such barbaric and inhumane treatment,” the statement read.
The party also pointed to specific instances of alleged police brutality, noting that among those arrested were minors, the elderly, and even a four-month-pregnant woman who was reportedly taking pictures near the protest. Another individual, a man returning from church, was also arrested, along with other innocent bystanders.
The NDC questioned why peaceful protesters are being targeted while the real culprits behind the illegal mining crisis remain free.
“Those who ought to be arrested, remanded, and dealt with according to law are the irresponsible officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and functionaries of the ruling NPP, who are busy polluting our water bodies and environment with reckless abandon in search of gold. These are the actual criminals who must face the full rigours of the law,” the NDC asserted.
The party also criticized the Accra Circuit Court for remanding the protesters, describing the charges against them as misdemeanours. The NDC argued that the right to protest is a fundamental human right and should not be suppressed by the courts or law enforcement.
“Even more disgusting is the decision by the Accra Circuit Court to remand the Democracy Hub protesters for offences that are classified as misdemeanours. The right to protest is an inviolable fundamental human right and must not be inhibited by such acts of high-handedness by the Police and the Courts,” the statement continued.
The NDC called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene and halt the prosecution of the protesters. The party urged the president to direct the Attorney General to enter a nolle prosequi, which would discontinue the legal proceedings against the individuals.
“Mr. President, citizens who are merely demanding a stop to the Galamsey menace, in respect of which, you promised to put your ‘Presidency on the line,’ must not become targets of such brazen misuse of power by your government,” the statement added.
The NDC reiterated its demand for the immediate release of the detained protesters, insisting that those opposing the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining deserve praise, not punishment.
The protest, organized by Democracy Hub, sought to draw attention to the ongoing destruction of water bodies, lands, and forest reserves as a result of galamsey, a crisis the NDC blames on the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its leaders.