The state has announced its decision not to pursue charges against seven of the 53 individuals arrested during the Democracy Hub protests three weeks ago.
In a court session on October 22, 2024, the judge was informed of plans to discontinue the case against Kingsley Asiedu, Seth Cofie, Vera Gloria Louis, Nii Quaye Hammond, Manuel Biney, Dorsese Joseph, and Ernest Acheampong. These seven were among nine accused who appeared in court that day.
The State Prosecutor indicated that new charges would be filed against the remaining two accused individuals.
In response to the news, the advocacy group FixtheCountry, from which Democracy Hub originated, expressed hope that charges against the other defendants would also be dropped. “7 out. 46 left,” the group posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The protests, which focused on illegal mining, took place from September 21 to September 23, with 42 protesters arrested on the second day. In total, more than 53 individuals were detained during and after the demonstrations.
The police had stated that the protesters unlawfully assembled at the 37 Intersection and allegedly attacked officers carrying out their duties. According to their statement, the demonstrators entered a police vehicle, removed the ignition key, discarded it, and pushed down police barriers, which resulted in obstruction of traffic and disturbances to public peace.
