CDD-Ghana Condemns Police Over Arrest of Protesters, Citing Constitutional Violations
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has sharply criticized the Ghana Police Service for its handling of recent protests, in which 40 citizens were arrested and detained while demonstrating against state capture, corruption, and illegal small-scale mining.
Among those detained were bystanders unaffiliated with the protest, a move that CDD-Ghana condemned as a violation of civil liberties.
The Center expressed deep concern over what it described as the police’s recurring use of excessive force, particularly against young protesters. These tactics, according to CDD-Ghana, contravene Article 14 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which protects citizens’ rights to protest and mandates due process.
The organization highlighted several breaches, including the refusal to release a full list of detainees, denial of access to legal counsel, and the unlawful transfer of individuals to prison without court authorization.
Detainees were also held beyond the constitutionally mandated 48 hours without being presented to a court, further exacerbating concerns over the erosion of legal rights.
In its statement, CDD-Ghana emphasized the broader implications of such police conduct, warning that it undermines public trust in the country’s legal institutions and constitutional democracy.
The Center called for immediate adherence to fair and due process for all detainees, urging authorities to uphold Ghana’s obligations under the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which enshrines the right to peaceful assembly—a right echoed in Article 21 of Ghana’s own Constitution.
In its concluding remarks, CDD-Ghana called on the Ghana Police Service to uphold its responsibility to maintain public order without infringing on citizens’ constitutional rights, stressing that the protection of fundamental freedoms, including peaceful assembly and freedom from unlawful detention, is critical to the country’s democratic integrity.
