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The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) said on Monday that the delay in delivering justice in arresting and prosecuting the assassins of Ahmed Suale, an investigative journalist, murdered two years ago, is unacceptable.
“It is not possible to bring Suale back to life. But that’s within the capacity of the police to register the perpetrators. This is our belief, ”said Roland Affail Monney, president of the GJA, at a forum to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of Ahmed Suale, who worked for Tiger Eye, an investigative body. media in Accra.
Mr Monney said it was unfortunate that the initial police communication that six people had been arrested for questioning yielded no results while the killers still walked freely, two years later.
“We therefore call on the authorities to act at lightning speed to purge the stain on the country’s image, the dim light on our sparkling democracy and the cold on media freedom inflicted by the unprecedented savagery of Suale’s death” , said Monney.
The president of the GJA condemned the culture of impunity and the authorization structure created by the “enemies of media freedom” and certain leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who openly incited their supporters against certain personalities of the media after the declaration of the presidential result of December 7. .
While instructing journalists to stand united and to do their jobs with critical sensitivity, Mr. Monney reiterated the Association’s commitment to support all journalists, including Efia Pokua and Kwame Sefa Kayi, both of Despite Media. , Manase Azuri, a freelance journalist, Phil Quartey of Metro TV, Umaru Sanda of Citi FM, Abdul Hayi Moomen of GTV, Evans Mensah, Kojo Yankson, Winston Amoah and Gifty Andoh Appiah, all of Multimedia and others who have suffered unjustified attacks, deadly threats and heavy insults in the performance of their duties.
The forum, which was also held to discuss threats and attacks against journalists in Ghana, was addressed by various media-related associations including the West African Journalists Association (WAJA), the Federation International Journalists (IFJ), the Protection Committee. Journalists (CPJ), among others, along with various representatives, call on the state to protect journalists and prosecute perpetrators when they are found.
They also implored journalists to remain professional and resolute in seeking information and passing it on to society.
WAJA, in a message of solidarity read by Ms. Linda Asante-Agyei, Vice President of GJA, said the celebration of the second anniversary of Suale’s death renewed her calls for justice. WAJA said heads of state should be held accountable for attacks on journalists if they fail to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for heinous crimes against journalists.
“It does not make sense that journalists are victims of assault, torture, imprisonment and murder for simply doing their job, while political leaders allow these crimes to go unpunished, it is complicity obvious ”.
CPJ, for its part, described the killing of journalists as the ultimate form of censorship, which also sought to silence journalists and their reporting, intimidate those who continued their work, and replace clarity of purpose with fear.
CPJ therefore called for justice for Suale and all journalists who had experienced any form of intimidation or violence while practicing.
Dr Nana Oppong, lawyer and President of the Distinguished Scholars of Africa, said the work of journalists exposed them to many forms of risk and attack, adding that most of them were sadly poor and so vulnerable, making it fall into political manipulations. and public attacks.
He therefore called for a review of the 1992 Constitution and other state laws to properly recognize journalists and protect their profession as the kingdom’s fourth real estate power.
Specifically, Dr Oppong called for the passage of the “Public Interest Defenders Law,” a law he said would provide special security, targeted training, compensation and financial support to journalists. professionals, their families and other people, engaged in sensitive missions, investigations and projects of national importance.
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