ACCRA — Ghana recorded 14 arrests related to false news and offensive speech in less than 16 months under President John Mahama. This figure surpassed the total number of such arrests made during the previous administration's eight-year tenure.
One arrest involved TikTok creator Prince Ofori in August, concerning alleged threats made against President Mahama. Following his arrest, Ofori attended a political rally alongside opposition figures.
Ghana's Criminal Code and Electronic Communications Act contain provisions that are currently being applied to online communications. A legal consultant reported at least 16 alleged misapplications of Section 208 of the Criminal Code over the past 18 months, compared to approximately a dozen misapplications of the same section during the preceding eight years.
A party communicator stated that "There is no systematic crackdown. There is simply enforcement of existing law." The communicator also noted that "Ghana's laws, Section 208 of the Criminal Code and Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, have been on the books for decades." The communicator also claimed that "The opposition intentionally sponsors people to insult the President. When the law catches up with them, they cry persecution to score cheap political points."
Minority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that "The state-sponsored persecution must stop. Arresting citizens for words that do not constitute genuine threats is not justice. It is intimidation." Afenyo-Markin also commented that "We should not continue to say that because it happened yesterday, it should happen today and tomorrow. That cycle must end. President Mahama has an opportunity to leave a legacy of tolerance and free speech."
Journalist Ben Ephson indicated that "The government must properly explain the arrests so people can draw the line between press freedom and responsible journalism." Ephson also stated that "When 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, do not trample on people's rights." A representative for an organization, Tegha King, said that "The global civic space must cultivate more free speech, not less. There must be independent courts, transparent enforcement, media self-regulation and digital literacy."