On the occasion of President John Dramani Mahama’s 100th day in office on April 17, 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged him to take decisive action to protect journalists, end impunity for attacks on the press, and reform laws that criminalise journalism.
In a letter dated April 17, 2025, CPJ urged the President to lead efforts in delivering justice for the 2019 murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela and to confront what the organisation described as a “broader pattern of impunity” that has seen dozens of journalists suffer abuse over the years without consequence.
“We urge your government to conduct swift and conclusive investigations into cases of attacks against the press, to reform laws that criminalise journalism, and to ensure journalists’ devices are not seized or searched in connection with their work,” the letter stated.
The global press freedom watchdog noted that since the killing of Hussein-Suale, “no one has been held accountable in his case.” CPJ added that over the four years following his death, it found “a broad pattern of impunity in the cases of at least 30 Ghanaian journalists and media workers who faced abuses in connection with their work,” and emphasised that “such attacks have continued, including during this first period of your tenure.”
CPJ further highlighted its long-standing concerns over laws that restrict journalistic work in Ghana, particularly Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act and Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act. These laws criminalise the publication of false news and carry prison terms of up to three and five years, respectively.
“Ghana’s laws have been used to criminalise the press,” the letter said, calling on President Mahama to heed “local press freedom advocates” who have issued repeated calls for legal reform.
In addition to legal restrictions, CPJ raised alarm over the threat posed by surveillance and digital intrusion. It referenced the acquisition by Ghanaian security forces of “digital investigations tools designed to access and extract information from phones and computers,” as well as “authorities’ repeated seizing of journalists’ devices.” The organisation warned that such practices “present privacy concerns for journalists themselves, as well as the risk of revealing and endangering journalists’ sources.”
The CPJ’s Africa Regional Director, Angela Quintal, who signed the letter, urged President Mahama to prioritise immediate reforms. “We call on your administration to prioritise urgent steps to improve the press freedom environment in Ghana by ensuring accountability for attacks on the press, reforming laws used to criminalise reporting, and protecting journalists’ privacy,” she wrote.
The CPJ also expressed its willingness to assist the Mahama administration in advancing the rights of journalists, stating that it “stands prepared to provide assistance or further information that can advance the rights of journalists to work freely and safely.”
Source: Graphic Online