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Minority in Parliament calls for end to prosecutions under 'outdated laws' and withdrawal of second charge against TikToker Camilla Alhassan
via GhanaWeb2 min read
The Minority in Parliament has urged the Mahama administration to stop the second prosecution of TikToker Camilla Alhassan and cease using what it terms "outdated laws" that criminalize free speech. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, speaking at a press conference on Friday, July 17, 2026, called for an immediate halt to all prosecutions under Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, arguing these provisions are not suitable for a modern democracy. This follows an Accra Circuit Court sentencing the 43-year-old TikToker to one year in prison with hard labor for offensive conduct after she pleaded guilty to making derogatory remarks about President John Dramani Mahama in a TikTok video. Despite her conviction, the Ghana Police Service indicated she would face a separate charge of false communication under the Electronic Communications Act. Afenyo-Markin demanded the withdrawal of all pending prosecutions under Sections 207 and 208, including the second prosecution against Camilla Alhassan. The Minority also requested the release of individuals currently serving sentences under these provisions, citing the case of Kwame Nkrumah II. Furthermore, Afenyo-Markin urged Parliament to fast-track legislation to repeal the two sections, noting the Minority has already presented a bill to the House. He also appealed to President Mahama to instruct law enforcement agencies to stop prosecuting Ghanaians under these contested provisions. The Minority believes repealing these
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