The Country Director of Amnesty International Ghana has condemned the Ghana Police Service for what she describes as an abuse of power in their handling of recent arrests related to the Democracy Hub protest against illegal mining.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Top Story on Thursday, September 26, 2024, Genevieve Partington expressed concern over the police's treatment of the accused, adding that the constitutional rights of the accused are being violated.

Madam Partington said that despite the destruction of property during the protest, the individuals arrested must still be considered innocent until proven guilty.

"The problem is, yes, they may have destroyed property, but at the end of the day, everyone that is arrested or picked up is innocent until proven guilty by the court of law. So, as they are on remand, they need to be treated with the basic human rights they deserve, as guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution," she stated.

She also criticised the police for targeting individuals who were not directly involved in the protest but were showing support.

"This is a complete abuse of power by the Ghana Police Service. They are arresting people who are either related to the protest or showing support. I heard news that yesterday, a certain person who was helping provide food and water to some of the accused persons in certain police stations was arrested," she added.

Read also: We’ve not denied Baker-Vormawor and his colleagues medical attention – Police

She further questioned the rationale behind such arrests and challenged the police to be transparent in their handling of detainees.

"Why would the police make such an arrest?" she asked, urging the Ghana Police Service to release a list of detainees who have received medical attention and those who have been granted access to legal counsel.

Already, a group of lawyers has filed a petition against the Police 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 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, over 50 protestors have been remanded into police and prison custody.