Democracy Hub lawyers petition CHRAJ over alleged police misconduct during the “Say No to Galamsey” protests

Lawyers representing Democracy Hub, the organizers of the ‘Reoccupy Julorbi House’ and ‘Say No to Galamsey’ protests, have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the conduct of the Ghana Police Service during recent demonstrations. The protests, which took place over the weekend, led to the arrest of 48 individuals.

Following the protests, 28 protesters were remanded into police custody after being denied bail on Tuesday, September 24, while 11 others were remanded into prison custody under similar conditions. According to a statement from the police, the protests were classified as an “unlawful assembly,” and the participants were accused of disturbing public peace. The police proceeded to arrest the demonstrators and presented them in court.

However, the legal team representing Democracy Hub has strongly criticized the manner in which their clients were arrested and processed. They have described the arrests as “unlawful” and argued that their clients were subjected to unfair treatment by the police. As a result, the lawyers are calling on CHRAJ to investigate allegations of police misconduct and rights violations.

In a petition dated September 25 and signed by Timothy Selikem Donkor on behalf of the Democracy Hub lawyers, the petitioners requested that CHRAJ find that “the rights and freedoms of the protesters were violated.” The petition further claims that the police engaged in unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, detention without food, and violations of the right to counsel, amounting to what they describe as “unprofessional conduct.”

The petition also calls on CHRAJ to take legal action against the officers involved, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions. In particular, the lawyers seek to ensure that the treatment of the protesters is addressed, and that the alleged violations of their rights are properly investigated.

The protests, organized by the Democracy Hub, were aimed at urging the government to take immediate action to curb illegal mining, also known as galamsey, which the group argues is depleting Ghana’s natural resources and threatening future generations. Despite the cause’s significance, the protests saw multiple arrests, which escalated to the point where only two individuals attended the final day of demonstrations.

As it stands, 39 protesters have been remanded into police and prison custody, while others, including one of the group’s leaders, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, are yet to appear before the court.

The petitioners have also appealed to CHRAJ to prioritize the investigation and ensure prompt legal action is taken against any officers found guilty