Following increasing demands for the 53 arrested anti-Galamsey demonstrators to be released, President Akufo-Addo has refuted claims that the administration is suppressing dissenting views.
In an interview with the French television network France24 on Friday, October 4, the president said that he recognized nonviolent protest as a fundamental component of democracy.

The Attorney General’s and the Minister of Justice’s offices are prosecuting the Democracy Hub Protesters’ case after the police detained and, according to reports, detained some of them for longer than was legally allowed before bringing them before a judge.

Legal experts have criticized the state for its punitive arrest of the demonstrators, citing their opposition to unlawful mining that is damaging forest reserves and water bodies.

Some attorneys believe that because the demonstrators’ accusations are misdemeanors, they should have been released on bail as soon as they were taken into custody.

Opponents contend that the State is abusing procedures in order to penalize the protestors, who have since sued the government.

“I am not in charge of putting Ghanaians behind bars. Throughout the Fourth Republic, Ghana’s courts have remained autonomous organizations. When someone commits misconduct and is taken before the court, the court should deal with them; the executive branch is not involved, and the behavior that got them into difficulty with the police and the court was their own fault.

“I don’t have problems with protests, and nothing is done in Ghana to stop people from airing their views. How can a president whose political career was aided by leading protests have problems with protests?”

In an effort to identify long-term solutions to the Galamsey threat, he encouraged demonstrators to collaborate with the appropriate authorities and called for nonviolent protests.