Ghana


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Campaigns and Advocacy


12 August 2010

Former president hails historic repeal of criminal libel law

Ghana's former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, said that history had vindicated his government for the repeal of the criminal libel laws that were used to jail journalists.
28 July 2010

Ghanaians protest against President Jammeh of The Gambia

The protest was part of activities organised to mark the 16th anniversary of President Yahya Jammeh's Coup d'État on 22 July 1994.



From the Communiqué


17 November 2004

MFWA PUBLISHES BOOK ON GHANA MEDIA LAWS

Researching Ghana's laws pertaining to media and freedom of expression should now be easier thanks to a new reference guide published by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). The IFEX member has just launched "Legislation on Media, Speech and Expression in Ghana: A Source Book."
26 June 2001

PROCESS TO ELIMINATE CRIMINAL LIBEL BEGINS

Ghana has begun the process to remove criminal libel from its statute books, report the West African Journalists Association (WAJA) and ARTICLE 19. The bill that would repeal the law on seditious libel was published in the official gazette on 8 June, according to WAJA. The bill must still go through three readings in parliament before becoming law. Repeal of the criminal libel law was a campaign promise of the new government, elected in December 2000. The former government used the law on several occasions to harass journalists, notes WAJA.
8 February 2000

WAJA PRESIDENT FACES POSSIBLE SEDITION CHARGES

On 3 February, Kabral Blay-Amihere, president of the West African Journalists Association (WAJA), executive member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and editor of "The Independent", was summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police on possible charges of sedition, reports WAJA and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The investigation was related to an editorial that Blay-Amihere wrote and published in "The Independent" on 11 January about the military. The article urged the public to boycott "the traditional 31 December military parade, describing it as a relic from the days when the army controlled all state agencies and affairs in Ghana," says CPJ. WAJA reports that "under Ghana's Criminal Code of 1960, any person found guilty of sedition faces a minimum prison sentence of five years." Blay-Amihere was released after several hours of interrogation.

See all articles: Ghana



Reports


8 January 2009

SPEAKING OUT FOR FREE EXPRESSION 1987-2007 AND BEYOND: Ghana

27 February 2008

Freedom of the Press 2007: Ghana


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Alerts

National security officials violently assault photojournalists 16 January 2012 Journalists attacked by angry mob 2 December 2011 Newspaper reporter receives death threats 17 October 2011 Police arrest two demonstrators 12 October 2011 Journalists intimidated, prevented from covering trial 16 September 2011 Newspaper suspended, journalists and publishers fined in defamation case 12 August 2011 Pastors assault radio journalists, vandalise station 11 August 2011 Police arrest ruling party demonstrators 8 August 2011 Newspaper journalist attacked 2 August 2011 Police assault sports journalists 27 July 2011 National security officials raid movie distribution company, seize copies of film 16 June 2011 Police detain Ivorian journalist 7 June 2011 Four lawyers blacklisted over judicial corruption allegations 26 May 2011 Radio journalist harassed, prevented from working 17 May 2011 Police detain photojournalist, delete photographs 9 May 2011 Reporter detained, roughed up, after photographing crackdown on street vendors 11 April 2011 Newspaper editor detained, released without charge 18 March 2011 Police arrest five demonstrating teachers, thwart demonstration 17 March 2011 MP who threatened editor summoned by police 15 March 2011 Politician threatens to kill newspaper editor over drug trafficking allegations 24 February 2011 Police manhandle members of Right to Information Coalition during protest 9 February 2011 Anti-piracy task force seizes equipment from five radio stations 24 January 2011 Radio journalist assaulted, briefly detained by election security team 4 January 2011 Court issues arrest warrant for radio journalist 20 December 2010 Prison officers storm radio station, assault staff 20 September 2010 See all alerts: Ghana
 
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