The Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, has called into question the rationale behind public calls for the release of the arrested Democracy Hub protesters.
Speaking in an interview with Puretvonline.com, she emphasised that while peaceful protests are a constitutional right, they should not come at the expense of the rights of others.
“Does the law apply differently to some citizens in this country?” Dapaah asked rhetorically, highlighting the need for fairness and the rule of law. “There is no issue with citizens protesting; after all, we all may have grievances in one way or another. But that does not give anyone the license to infringe upon the rights of others.”
Madam Diana Asonaba Dapaah cited a specific incident at the 37 Military Hospital, where a lawyer rushing her child for emergency care was denied access due to the roadblocks caused by the protesters. “How do we justify this? What about the rights of those citizens who were not part of the protest but were still affected by it? We need to balance these considerations,” she remarked.
Her comments come after pressure groups and activists demanded the immediate release of the detained protesters.
However, the Deputy Minister stood firm, defending the arrests as lawful. “We must stop creating confusion. The individuals in question knowingly violated the law. Can we, in good conscience, say that the protesters did not infringe upon the rights of other citizens?”
She also addressed rumours circulating in the media, including claims that a pregnant woman named Vera was among the arrested. “These allegations spread quickly, but they were untrue. Tests conducted at both the Ghana Police Hospital and a private facility called Euracare Advance Diagnotics and Heart Centre confirmed that the woman was not pregnant,” Madam Diana Dapaah clarified, expressing her surprise at how quickly misinformation can take hold in the media space.
She reiterated that no citizen is above the law and that equal application of justice is fundamental to the country’s legal framework. “No one in this country is more human than another. We all must respect the laws that govern us, even in moments of protest.”
As the legal process unfolds, 52 protesters remain in custody, facing charges that could determine the future landscape of public demonstrations in the country.