Ghana must never go back to an era of fear and silence — NPP condemns jailing of TikToker

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the conviction and one-year prison sentence handed to TikToker Camila Alhassan.

The party said the imprisonment of the 43-year-old over comments she made about President John Dramani Mahama raises serious constitutional concerns and should alarm all Ghanaians who value civil liberties.

Camila was sentenced by an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday, July 16, after being convicted of offensive conduct.

The Ghana Police Service has also announced plans to arraign her before an High Court on a separate charge of false communication under the Electronic Communications Act.

"Let us be unequivocal: the imprisonment of a citizen over expressive conduct raises profound constitutional questions regarding the freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution.

"No amount of legal formalism can conceal the fact that a Ghanaian has today been deprived of her liberty in circumstances arising from her expression," the NPP said in a statement signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong.

The party argued that if the President believed he had been defamed, the appropriate remedy was a civil action for defamation rather than criminal prosecution and imprisonment.

According to the NPP, the involvement of the Police, Attorney General and the courts in the matter sends what it described as a chilling message to citizens who express views critical of the government.

The party also condemned the treatment of Camila during her arrest and court proceedings, describing it as heavy-handed and inconsistent with the principles of a constitutional democracy.

It also served notice that it would support efforts to appeal both the conviction and sentence, insisting that "free speech is not a crime" and pledging to continue defending the constitutional rights of Ghanaians to express their views and hold leaders accountable.