Amnesty International deplores mob action
The Ghana branch of Amnesty International has deplored the increasing spate of mob action in the country and called for immediate action to arrest the situation.
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Speaking at the launch of Amnesty International’s annual report on “The state of the World’s Human Rights, 2014,” in Accra yesterday, the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Mr Lawrence Amesu, said mob action, a social evil, had crept into society.
He said in recent times, his office had been receiving reports of some people taking the law into their own hands to mete out instant justice to innocent individuals who were accused of one crime or another.
The director noted that some soldiers who were expected to protect the citizens were also involved in such unfortunate behaviours.
He recounted an incident two weeks ago in which four soldiers were reported to have beaten up a driver’s mate to death in the Bekwai area of the Ashanti Region.
Human Rights Abuses in Ghana
Mr Amesu said comparing the human rights situation in the country to those in most African countries, it would be observed that Ghana’s human rights record was improving gradually.
The director observed that although the Amnesty International 2014 Report did not capture all human rights abuses in Ghana, it highlighted certain issues in the country. “Ghana continues to hand down death sentences although an ongoing constitution review process could lead to its abolition”.
The report also captured the fact that violence against women and girls remained widespread. A total of 16,275 cases were reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit during the year under review.
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Recommendation
Consequently, Mr Amesu called on the government to continue to make human rights issues central to its political programme and implement a clear agenda for such issues, particularly the protection of the vulnerable.
He also urged all world leaders to act urgently to confront the changing nature of conflict and protect civilians from horrific violence by states and armed groups.
The Annual Report
The annual event highlights the situation of human rights all over the world as captured and recorded by Amnesty International.
The 414-page book provides a comprehensive global overview of the state of human rights in 160 countries in 2014.
It reflects Amnesty International’s work to combat human rights abuses and points out its future agenda to address those challenges