Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has defended the government’s decision to prosecute members of the Democracy Hub following some unlawful incidents recorded during their protest against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
He stated that their actions went beyond the limits of free expression and posed a threat to public safety.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) on Wednesday, Mr Dame cited international examples of how democracies deal with protestors who cross the line into unlawful behaviour, urging Ghana to follow suit in maintaining national peace and security, especially ahead of the 2024 elections.
While acknowledging the right to freedom of expression, Mr Dame emphasized that this right must be exercised responsibly and within the confines of the law.
“As I always say, freedom is not free. It is accompanied by serious responsibilities,” he stated.
Referring to the recent protests organized by the Democracy Hub, which led to clashes with the police, Mr Dame argued that such actions threatened the nation’s peace and territorial integrity.
The Attorney General cited instances from the United Kingdom and the United States where protestors who engaged in unlawful activities, such as blocking essential services or inciting violence, faced the full force of the law.
He pointed to the sentencing of five climate activists in the UK who caused a motorway gridlock and were jailed for up to five years.
Similarly, he mentioned the prosecution of far-right rioters in the UK and anti-abortion activists in the US who violated public order under the guise of peaceful protest.
“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.
He called on the Judiciary to support law enforcement officers by dealing firmly with acts of violence and lawlessness, especially in the lead-up to the elections.
“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.”
In addressing concerns about the prosecution of Democracy Hub members, Mr Dame revealed that he had instructed the Police Service to expedite investigations and advised prosecutors to consider relevant bail applications for protestors against whom insufficient evidence is 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.
