Arrests of critics in Ghana provokes alarm over free speech under Mahama

Accra, Ghana – Ghana has recorded 14 arrests linked to mendacious quality and violative code successful little than 16 months, astir treble the fig documented during the erstwhile administration’s full eight-year tenure, according to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

The emergence has triggered a crisp statement successful 1 of West Africa’s astir unchangeable democracies implicit whether authorities are simply enforcing long-standing laws successful a caller integer environment, oregon edging into a much restrictive attack to nationalist speech.

The contention carries added governmental value due to the fact that President John Mahama, portion successful absorption successful 2022, warned that utilizing authorities powerfulness to intimidate dissent was a “dangerous blueprint” for democracy.

Government: enforcement not repression

A elder ruling enactment authoritative dismissed allegations that the arrests magnitude to a crackdown.

“The absorption intentionally sponsors radical to insult the President,” helium told Al Jazeera. “When the instrumentality catches up with them, they outcry persecution to people inexpensive governmental points.”

He pointed to the lawsuit of TikToker Prince Ofori, known arsenic “Fante Comedy”, who was arrested past August implicit alleged threats to President Mahama.

Days aft his arrest, Ofori appeared astatine a governmental rally alongside absorption figures, a improvement the authoritative said showed however rapidly specified cases go politicised.

“They paraded him astatine an absorption rally,” helium said.

Opposition: a informing motion for democracy

Opposition leaders spot thing much troubling taking shape.

Minority person Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been among the astir outspoken critics.

“The state-sponsored persecution indispensable stop,” helium told Al Jazeera. “Arresting citizens for words that bash not represent genuine threats is not justice. It is intimidation.”

Police officers connected information patrol successful beforehand of the Ghana achromatic prima awesome [Frank Kporfor/Epa]

He said escaped code has limits, but argued that the authorities is progressively crossing a line.

“Excessive usage of authorities powerfulness risks undoing Ghana’s hard-won antiauthoritarian gains,” helium said.

Where is the line?

At the centre of the statement are long-standing provisions successful Ghana’s Criminal Code and Electronic Communications Act, which authorities accidental are present being applied to a fast-moving integer landscape.

Government supporters reason the summation successful arrests reflects the detonation of anonymous and unregulated online content.

Critics accidental the occupation is not the laws themselves, but however they are being used.

A ineligible advisor who reviewed caller cases said helium counted astatine slightest 16 alleged misapplications of Section 208 successful the past 18 months, compared with astir a twelve successful the erstwhile 8 years.

“The instrumentality has been abused beyond repair,” helium said. “Repeal is the lone remedy.”

Veteran writer Ben Ephson said Ghana needs clearer guidance connected wherever escaped look ends and harm begins.

“The authorities indispensable decently explicate the arrests truthful radical tin gully the enactment betwixt property state and liable journalism,” helium said.

He added that some journalists and authorities institutions hazard overstepping if the rules stay unclear.

“When you comparison the state of the media and the rights of the individual, we request to beryllium cautious that the media, successful trying to bash their work, don’t trample connected people’s rights,” helium said.

A wider planetary debate

Others accidental Ghana’s statement mirrors tensions playing retired successful different democracies.

Tegha King of the Universal Peace Federation Ghana said concerns astir shrinking civic abstraction are not unsocial to Ghana.

“The planetary civic abstraction indispensable cultivate much escaped speech, not less,” helium told Al Jazeera.

He said stronger institutions, not much arrests, are needed to negociate the pressures of the integer age.

“There indispensable beryllium autarkic courts, transparent enforcement, media self-regulation and integer literacy,” helium said.

Civic consciousness and outer concern

Some analysts constituent to gaps successful nationalist knowing of law rights.

“There is simply a deficiency of law acquisition among galore Ghanaians,” said David Adofo of the African Chamber of Content Producers. “People indispensable cognize the consequences of their actions earlier they act, not after.”

Concerns are besides being voiced extracurricular the country.

“We person had galore concerns from diasporans astir perceived erosion of property and governmental freedoms, particularly quality of blogger arrests,” said Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang of the NuGhana Expat Center. “Negative quality sells fast. The authorities indispensable beryllium cautious truthful it does not task a antagonistic representation of Ghana successful the diasporan community.”

Government stance

Officials importune determination is nary coordinated effort to soundlessness dissent.

An NDC communicator said the ineligible model successful question predates the existent medication and defended the approach.

“Ghana’s laws, Section 208 of the Criminal Code and Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, person been connected the books for decades,” helium said. “What has changed is the sheer measurement of reckless, anonymous and sometimes unsafe contented connected societal media. There is nary systematic crackdown. There is simply enforcement of existing law.”

Police basal defender during a Show of Force Exercise successful Accra past December [Francis Kokoroko/Reuters]

A governmental irony astatine the centre of it all

Ghana remains 1 of West Africa’s much unfastened democracies, with a competitory governmental strategy and progressive media landscape.

But the emergence successful speech-related arrests has sharpened scrutiny of however acold the authorities tin spell successful policing online look without undermining the antiauthoritarian civilization that helped specify its reputation.

The statement is besides politically charged due to the fact that of Mahama’s ain past warnings.

As absorption leader, helium described the usage of authorities powerfulness against dissent arsenic a “dangerous blueprint.” Today, critics accidental his authorities faces accusations it erstwhile condemned.

For Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the infinitesimal calls for restraint — and reflection.

“We should not proceed to accidental that due to the fact that it happened yesterday, it should hap contiguous and tomorrow. That rhythm indispensable end,” helium said. “President Mahama has an accidental to permission a bequest of tolerance and escaped speech. I anticipation helium takes it.”