At a press conference held at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra on Sunday, 29th September 2024, Alan Kyerematen, Presidential Candidate of the Afrafranto Alliance, took a bold stance against the ongoing detention of young protesters who participated in the Democracy Hub demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The protests, which aimed to spotlight the government\u2019s failure to tackle illegal mining (Galamsey), led to the arrest and detention of 53 young Ghanaians. Mr Kyerematen condemned the authorities for what he called \u201cunlawful and unconstitutional\u201d treatment of the protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Alan Kyerematen, the youth, who were exercising their constitutional rights to protest, have been unfairly charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and unlawful assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expressed his dismay at the Ghana Police Service\u2019s handling of the situation, questioning how the police could supervise a three-day demonstration only to turn around and bring charges of unlawful assembly. \u201cIt is beyond my wildest imagination how this happened,\u201d Mr Kyerematen stated emphatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Afrafranto leader further criticized the police for their post-arrest treatment of the detained protesters, who had reportedly been denied access to legal counsel, medical care, food, and water in the early moments of their arrest. He lamented the unprofessional and unlawful conduct of the police in managing the detained protesters, calling it an abuse of power that undermines the constitutional rights of all Ghanaians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Kyerematen\u2019s scathing remarks also extended to the judiciary. He questioned the refusal of judges to grant bail to the detained youth, stating that the charges against them are misdemeanours and do not warrant prolonged detention. He described the judiciary\u2019s decision as an \u201cabuse of judicial discretion,\u201d calling for a swift review of the bail refusal to prevent further injustice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his speech, Alan Kyerematen noted the troubling trend of intolerance towards dissenting views under the current NPP government. He warned that the growing culture of fear and sycophancy, particularly in the lead-up to the December elections, is an ominous sign for Ghana\u2019s democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet it not be said that our generation stood by unconcerned as the dark clouds of chaos and anarchy began to gather in our beloved country,\u201d he cautioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n