Human Rights Group condemns arrest of 21 LGBTQI rights campaigners in Ghana

The Humanists Association of Ghana has condemned the alleged arrest of 21 campaigners for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersexual (LGBTQI) people by the Ghanaian police.

In a statement issued by the group's President, Michael Osei-Assibey, the arrest and subsequent detention of the campaigners, was described as unlawful.

The group argued that the Ghanaian constitution allows individuals the right of association and the right to assemble while stating that the arrest of the campaigners is characteristic of the autocratic rule of the current government.

It, therefore, called on the government to halt any move of prosecution against the campaigners.

The statement read, “The Humanists Association of Ghana has taken note of a report that 21 people have been arrested and placed in the remand following a meeting held allegedly promoting LGBTQ+ in the meeting.

“This arrest is part of the trend towards authoritarianism by the current government, with lawful protesters attacked, journalists brutalised and killed and people arrested without legitimate basis by an increasingly reckless state security apparatus. The constitution gives individuals the right of association and the right to assemble as fundamentally enshrined.

“We endorse the statement by the Economic Fighters League and wish to call on people to oppose such actions of the state and further demand from the Inspector General of Police and the President of the Republic not to allow state institutions to repress the rights of citizens as we have seen in the recent torture of a Citi FM journalist and an ex-parte move to deter young people from protesting against the myriad development failures confronting the country.

“We call on people to oppose the actions of the state, the government and security forces and further urge them to join hands in the condemnation of this awful arrest and blatant show of elite-class power on minorities. We also urge the state to withdraw any move of prosecution."