Pan-African movement calls for investigation of human rights violation in Ghana
The Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement has called for a thorough investigation of all human rights violations in Ghana and the release of all unjustly detained protesters in the country.
The Africans Rising in collaboration with Economic Fighters League, Democracy Hub made the call in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The statement signed by Africans Rising Coordinator, Mr Hardi Yakubu was the organisations reaction to the recent arrest of over 50 young Ghanaians for allegedly participating in the DemocracyHub StopGalamsey protests.
It noted that Ghanaian citizens had been protesting against illegal mining and environmental destruction, leading to a three-day demonstration.
According to the statement, the arrest of over 50 protesters by the Ghana Police Service highlighted the erosion of basic freedoms such as the right to speak, assemble, and protest against injustices.
It noted that the protesters who were kept in undisclosed locations, were denied access to lawyers or food.
It added that the police also prevented well wishers from supplying essentials to the protesters, causing bodily pain and psychological torture.
It further added that the protesters were met with force, not dialogue, and their rights violated.
“The detention of minors, pregnant women, and elderly citizens in inhumane conditions is a failure of governance.
“And a betrayal of the promises made under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“These brave citizens, whose only crime was calling attention to the scourge of illegal mining, galamsey, which poisons Ghanaian water, destroys the environment.
“And imperils the future of the nation, have been met not with dialogue, but with force,”the statement said.
It noted that like in 1948, the protesters were invoking the history of African independence and revolutionary fighters to stand for who they were.
It therefore called on well meaning Ghanaians to add their voices to the call for accountability until every remanded protester was free and their rights fully restored.(https://newsatlarge.ng)