Twenty of the Democracy Hub protesters who were arrested and remanded for alleged “unlawful assembly” over illegal mining in the country last month have declared a hunger strike.
The three-day strike takes effect on Friday, October 18, 2024, a Convenor of the pressure group, Oliver Barker Vormawor has announced.
The intention is to draw national attention to the “inhumane” conditions they were subjected to during their days in cells.
“The hunger strike is demanding that the country ends the deliberate and longstanding refusal to feed detainees in Police custody. The refusal to feed detainees has created an institutionalized Starvation programme that dehumanizes individuals who by law are innocent and haven’t been found guilty of any crime,” he said in a statement.
He described the action as “historic and noble”, adding that it “symbolises the first collective action by remand prisoners to demand a respect for their human rights and collective dignity”.
Meanwhile, he urged Ghanaians to join the last day of the hunger strike by making it a national protest.
“I stand with them in calling on well-meaning Ghanaians, and the entire nation to declare their solidarity with this protest by announcing a one day national hunger strike, on the last day, Sunday, 20th October, 2024.”
The group were among some 53 persons who were arrested, charged and remanded into police and prison custody for at least two weeks by the police for committed unlawful acts during their protest which started on September 21 and ended on September 23.
Source:opemsuo.com