{"id":59875,"date":"2026-06-05T22:57:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T02:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/arrests-of-critics-in-ghana-provokes-alarm-over-free-speech-under-mahama\/05\/06\/2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T22:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T02:57:57","slug":"arrests-of-critics-in-ghana-provokes-alarm-over-free-speech-under-mahama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/arrests-of-critics-in-ghana-provokes-alarm-over-free-speech-under-mahama\/05\/06\/2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Arrests of critics in Ghana provokes alarm over free speech under Mahama"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Accra, Ghana \u2013<\/strong> Ghana has recorded 14 arrests linked to false news and offensive speech in less than 16 months, nearly double the number documented during the previous administration\u2019s entire eight-year tenure, according to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The rise has triggered a sharp debate in one of West Africa\u2019s most stable democracies over whether authorities are simply enforcing long-standing laws in a new digital environment, or edging into a more restrictive approach to public speech.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The controversy carries added political weight because President John Mahama, while in opposition in 2022, warned that using state power to intimidate dissent was a \u201cdangerous blueprint\u201d for democracy.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Government: enforcement not repression<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A senior ruling party official dismissed allegations that the arrests amount to a crackdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe opposition intentionally sponsors people to insult the President,\u201d he told Al Jazeera. \u201cWhen the law catches up with them, they cry persecution to score cheap political points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He pointed to the case of TikToker Prince Ofori, known as \u201cFante Comedy\u201d, who was arrested last August over alleged threats to President Mahama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Days after his arrest, Ofori appeared at a political rally alongside opposition figures, a development the official said showed how quickly such cases become politicised.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThey paraded him at an opposition rally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Opposition: a warning sign for democracy<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Opposition leaders see something more troubling taking shape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Minority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been among the most outspoken critics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe state-sponsored persecution must stop,\u201d he told Al Jazeera. \u201cArresting citizens for words that do not constitute genuine threats is not justice. It is intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Police officers on security patrol in front of the Ghana black star symbol [Frank Kporfor\/Epa]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He said free speech has limits, but argued that the state is increasingly crossing a line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cExcessive use of state power risks undoing Ghana\u2019s hard-won democratic gains,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Where is the line?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">At the centre of the debate are long-standing provisions in Ghana\u2019s Criminal Code and Electronic Communications Act, which authorities say are now being applied to a fast-moving digital landscape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Government supporters argue the increase in arrests reflects the explosion of anonymous and unregulated online content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Critics say the problem is not the laws themselves, but how they are being used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A legal consultant who reviewed recent cases said he counted at least 16 alleged misapplications of Section 208 in the past 18 months, compared with roughly a dozen in the previous eight years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe law has been abused beyond repair,\u201d he said. \u201cRepeal is the only remedy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Media freedom and blurred boundaries<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Veteran journalist Ben Ephson said Ghana needs clearer guidance on where free expression ends and harm begins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe government must properly explain the arrests so people can draw the line between press freedom and responsible journalism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He added that both journalists and state institutions risk overstepping if the rules remain unclear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWhen you compare the freedom of the media and the rights of the individual, we need to be careful that the media, in trying to do their work, don\u2019t trample on people\u2019s rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>A wider global debate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Others say Ghana\u2019s debate mirrors tensions playing out in other democracies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tegha King of the Universal Peace Federation Ghana said concerns about shrinking civic space are not unique to Ghana.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe global civic space must cultivate more free speech, not less,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He said stronger institutions, not more arrests, are needed to manage the pressures of the digital age.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThere must be independent courts, transparent enforcement, media self-regulation and digital literacy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Civic awareness and external concern<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Some analysts point to gaps in public understanding of constitutional rights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThere is a lack of constitutional education among many Ghanaians,\u201d said David Adofo of the African Chamber of Content Producers. \u201cPeople must know the consequences of their actions before they act, not after.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Concerns are also being voiced outside the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe have had many concerns from diasporans about perceived erosion of press and political freedoms, especially news of blogger arrests,\u201d said Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang of the NuGhana Expat Center. \u201cNegative news sells fast. The government must be cautious so it does not project a negative image of Ghana in the diasporan community.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Government stance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Officials insist there is no coordinated effort to silence dissent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">An NDC communicator said the legal framework in question predates the current administration and defended the approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cGhana\u2019s laws, Section 208 of the Criminal Code and Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, have been on the books for decades,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat has changed is the sheer volume of reckless, anonymous and sometimes dangerous content on social media. There is no systematic crackdown. There is simply enforcement of existing law.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Personnel of Ghana's Police Service stands guard during a Show of Force Exercise in Accra, Ghana, December 11, 2025. [Francis Kokoroko\/Reuters]\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/G0wkbLNRDhAWgEiJNKT31A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/390879cb04c3859161841f5971a2ffcf\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Police stand guard during a Show of Force Exercise in Accra last December [Francis Kokoroko\/Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>A political irony at the centre of it all<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ghana remains one of West Africa\u2019s more open democracies, with a competitive political system and active media landscape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But the rise in speech-related arrests has sharpened scrutiny of how far the state can go in policing online expression without undermining the democratic culture that helped define its reputation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The debate is also politically charged because of Mahama\u2019s own past warnings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As opposition leader, he described the use of state power against dissent as a \u201cdangerous blueprint.\u201d Today, critics say his government faces accusations it once condemned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the moment calls for restraint \u2014 and reflection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe should not continue to say that because it happened yesterday, it should happen today and tomorrow. That cycle must end,\u201d he said. \u201cPresident Mahama has an opportunity to leave a legacy of tolerance and free speech. I hope he takes it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/world\/articles\/arrests-critics-ghana-provokes-alarm-020127038.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accra, Ghana &ndash; Ghana has recorded 14 arrests linked to false news and offensive speech in less than 16 months, nearly double<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/arrests-of-critics-in-ghana-provokes-alarm-over-free-speech-under-mahama\/05\/06\/2026\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/RiUe_f9P61ACY2TiB075_w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04MDA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/24a562e1bc7f5f12608b0bcbbfac7ab4","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59875"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}