The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has appealed to the Attorney General and other prosecuting bodies to treat cases of violence against journalists as a priority, so that those harmed receive justice.
The Association further encouraged the government to furnish investigative agencies with the resources they need to hasten inquiries into reported assaults on media workers.
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the GJA, made the appeal while addressing the press on Monday, November 2, as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists was marked.
He urged the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service, National Security and other security institutions to cooperate with inquiries into attacks on reporters by supplying evidence and disciplining any personnel found responsible.
Mr Dwumfour insisted that journalists provide a vital service to the public and must not be regarded as opponents by state institutions. He asked the government to ensure that public bodies take part in accountability procedures, and he encouraged the courts to deliver fair and prompt rulings in matters concerning attacks on journalists.
In his words, the security institutions must cooperate with investigations, produce evidence and penalise any officers found at fault. He added that reporters are not enemies, since they carry out an important duty in the public interest and should be permitted to work in safety. The GJA, he said, asks the government to supply the resources necessary for effective investigations and to make sure public institutions cooperate with accountability processes. He also called on the Attorney General and prosecuting authorities to give priority to cases involving attacks on journalists, while the courts guarantee fair and timely resolution of them.
The GJA’s appeal arrives amid recent accounts of assaults on journalists as they went about their professional work, which have heightened worries about the safety of media practitioners and the need to confront impunity for such attacks.
A note on the images: the set above shows Mr Dwumfour at earlier GJA press events and coverage of the Association’s previous demands for action on attacks against journalists. I could not confirm their dates or that they were taken at Monday’s commemoration. For photos of the event itself, the GJA’s official social media pages and Citi Newsroom’s report are the best places to look.
