The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has announced a sweeping set of measures aimed at holding security personnel and individuals accountable for attacks on journalists, vowing to publicly name and shame perpetrators while pursuing diplomatic and international sanctions against them.
In what is being described as an unprecedented pushback against the rising tide of press freedom violations in Ghana, the GJA says it will publish the names, ranks, and photographs of all security officers found to have assaulted media personnel. These individuals will be boldly labelled “Enemies of Democracy and Press Freedom” and featured on the front pages of major newspapers and digital platforms for one year.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, July 31, 2025, GJA President Albert Dwumfour said the association is tired of empty condemnations and impunity.
“We are no longer accepting symbolic condemnations without consequences,” Dwumfour stated. “This time, there will be names, there will be consequences, and the world will know.”
Beyond public shaming, the GJA intends to escalate the matter internationally. The association will formally write to embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and the European Union Delegation in Ghana to request visa denials and revocations for those implicated in press freedom violations.
Furthermore, petitions will be sent to global and regional bodies such as the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and UNESCO, urging them to bar offending individuals from participating in peacekeeping missions and international assignments.
“We will not allow them to represent Ghana abroad while attacking journalists at home,” Dwumfour emphasised.
The GJA’s hardline stance follows a string of violent incidents against journalists, including the recent assault on reporters covering the Ablekuma North parliamentary election re-run and the arrest and alleged abuse of JoyNews journalist Carlos Calony and his cameraman by National Security operatives during a demolition exercise in Accra.
Despite public outcry, no credible prosecutions or transparent accountability measures have been implemented in these cases, the GJA noted.
In a further escalation, the GJA said it would:
- Petition the Ghana Armed Forces Council and Police Council to block promotions of officers implicated in such abuses;
- Demand internal disciplinary action from security institutions;
- Partner with international and local human rights organisations to file civil lawsuits and petitions on behalf of victimised journalists.
The GJA also issued a stark ultimatum to the Ghana Police Service: provide comprehensive updates on all journalist assault cases within seven days or face a media blackout.
“If the police fail to respond, we will instruct all media houses to withhold coverage of police activities and declare them hostile to press freedom,” Dwumfour warned.
This bold campaign signals a turning point in Ghana’s media landscape, with the GJA drawing a clear line between protection of press freedom and institutional violence.
As Dwumfour put it:
“You cannot brutalise the press in the dark and walk freely in the daylight. The press is not your enemy—we are the people’s voice. Attacking us is attacking democracy itself.”
The association has vowed to sustain the campaign until justice is served and lasting protections are secured for all media practitioners in Ghana.
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