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Minority caucus advocates for repeal of sections 207 and 208 of Criminal and Other Offences Act
via GhanaWeb2 min read
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for the repeal of Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, arguing that these provisions, which criminalize offensive conduct and the publication of false information inciting public alarm, undermine the constitutional right to freedom of speech. This call follows the arrest and one-year imprisonment of 43-year-old social media influencer Ms. Camila Alhassan, who was sentenced for comments made in TikTok videos alleging, without evidence, that President John Dramani Mahama sacrificed 32 cows for ritual purposes to win the 2024 general election. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin clarified that this move is not a license for irresponsible speech, stating that the Minority condemns such actions but opposes custodial sentences for these offenses. He highlighted that Sections 74 and 75 of the same Act already address unlawful threats. Afenyo-Markin condemned Alhassan’s arrest and imprisonment, likening it to a “recreation of criminal libel” by the government. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all pending prosecutions under Sections 207 and 208, including a second case against Ms. Alhassan, and the release of individuals currently serving sentences under these provisions. He also sought a public commitment from the government that no citizen would face criminal prosecution for speech deemed merely critical, embarrassing, or unwelcome to those in power.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
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