Accra: The Media Research Institute (MRi) has described the one-year jail sentence handed to TikToker Camilla Alhassan as alarming and harsh and appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to grant her a presidential pardon.
According to Ghana News Agency, the MRi also appealed to President Mahama to exercise his constitutional power of pardon, as he did in the case of the Montie Three in 2016. The appeal was contained in a statement, signed by Dr. Daniel Nkrumah, the Executive Director of the MRi, and copied to the Ghana News Agency.
An Accra Circuit Court convicted Camilla Alhassan on charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news. The statement said Camilla's comments were despicable by all standards but argued that a one-year prison term was 'Tantamount to killing an ant with a sledgehammer.' It added that three contemnors were sentenced to four months' imprisonment by the Supreme Court for scandalising the court but were granted a presidential pardon after serving only one month.
The statement further highlighted that the country's political space was riddled with wild political rhetoric from activists on both sides of the divide yet the law was not applied equally. It cited two recent examples, including Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, who was condemned by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for describing a Circuit Court Judge as an NDC Judge, yet faced no legal repercussions.
Additionally, the statement referenced cases involving Malik Basintale and former Minister Atta Akyea, both of whom made controversial statements without facing arrests or prosecutions. The MRi criticized the selective application of the law, especially given that Camilla pleaded guilty, and described her sentence as alarming and harsh.
The statement expressed concerns that jailing Camilla set a dangerous precedent and threatened free speech in the country. It argued that the criminalization of speech relative to the poor in society undermines the very foundation of democracy, which relies on the resilience of the poor masses as much as the authority of the powerful elite.
The MRi acknowledged the need for decency in political discourse and emphasized that actions to curb excesses must not be seen as extreme and high-handed. It called on the government to resource the National Commission for Civic Education and urged faith-based organizations and civil society groups to intensify civic education.