Ghana is named in a 2022 report by the US State Department for violating human rights.
Ghana has been condemned for multiple human rights violations in the annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2022 published by the US Department of State.
The report, which was published in April 2023, noted a number of violations, including extrajudicial executions, arbitrary executions, torture, and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment used by the government or on its behalf.
According to the research, police brutality, insufficient monitoring, inadequate training, and overburdened legal systems all contribute to police impunity.
It claimed that the police frequently ignored crime reports and required payment from the public for transportation and other operating costs before acting.
The report also included information about Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s arrest on February 11, 2022 by police, who was an activist who opposed the regime.
For making false remarks on Facebook, Barker-Vormawor was initially charged with misdemeanors; however, the charges were eventually increased to felony treason. Before a court released him on bond after 35 days in jail.
The report claims that there are severe restrictions on free speech and the media, including government corruption, attacks on journalists, warrantless detentions or prosecutions of journalists, and substantial interference with the right to peaceful assembly.
The report also drew attention to the paucity of gender-based violence investigations and prosecutions, as well as crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex people as well as people with disabilities. Although not effectively enforced, regulations that make consenting same-sex sexual activity between adults illegal were also noted.
It was discovered that the government had taken certain actions to address official corruption and human rights violations by those in authority, particularly those in the security forces or other parts of the government, but impunity remained a problem.
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