Amnesty Ghana visits the FPU Office

Amnesty International (AI) Ghana has visited the office of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) to discuss issues pertaining to the fundamental rights to protest in the country.Earlier this year, AI Ghana launched a campaign on 'Protect the Protest' to ensure that protestors were protected from interference by state authorities, including the police and national security forces.Briefing the media, Madam Genevieve Partington Country Director, AI Ghana said, 'Protesting is the right to have peaceful demonstration to enact positive change regarding government policies in the country.'So, it is the duty of the security service to protect protestors without any discrimination.'She said, 'We visited the FPU because they are the unit that deals on protecting the Right of Protesters in the country, it is important for us to have an engagement with them.''We had engagement with the Deputy Commanding Officer and his team, where the officers assured us that the unit is dedicated in protecting the right of its citizen s.'Adding, 'We want to train observers for protest observation and we will also be releasing a documentary on protest.'She said, AI Ghana would also be looking at reviewing the Public Order Act because the organisation realised that the Act had some loopholes.She said 'we are currently consulting some lawyers to look into it, once we get what the challenges are we will share that with the public.'The meeting was attended by Amnesty International Ghana's Country Director, Genevieve Partington, accompanied by staff and board members of the organisation.Source: Ghana News Agency