Source: Myjoyonline.com
A group of lawyers has filed a petition against the Ghana Police Service at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for allegedly violating the rights of demonstrators at the recent StopGalamsey protest.
The Democracy Hub organised a three-day protest to press home their demands for the government to swiftly end the illegal mining activities in the country.
According to the group, the menace was robbing Ghana of its natural resources and endangering the lives of future generations.
However, the protest witnessed several arrests forcing only two individuals to show up for the final day of the protest.
So far, some 39 people have been remanded into police and prison custody, with others yet to appear before the court, including one of the leaders of the group, Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
On the back of this, in a petition signed by a representative of the lawyers, Timothy Selikem Donkor, the petitioners requested that CHRAJ commence an immediate investigation into the police’s violation of the protesters’ rights.
The outlined areas for the investigation include a probe into unlawful arrests of protesters, unlawful detention without providing food, acts of unprofessional conduct, and violation of the right to counsel.
The petition also requests that immediate legal action be taken to ensure that these violations cease and that the police officers involved are dealt with per the law.
Additionally, the lawyers have appealed to CHRAJ to treat the matter with urgency.
