Ghanaian journalists to go red on Friday against torture

A section of Ghanaian journalists will on Friday, July 5, 2019 wear red and change their social media profile pictures to suit the occasion in solidarity with their colleagues who have been victimized over the years.

The protest dubbed: #MediaRedFriday is also in solidarity with two staff of online news portal ModernGhana – Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri and Emmanuel Britwum – over their Rambo-style arrest last week at their office.

Mr Abugri, who was released on Saturday, 29 June 2019, said he was not spared by his captors who, he claimed took turns to hit and taser him. Narrating the incident, Mr Abugri said he was slapped, punched and assaulted endlessly for hours till the point where he struggled to breathe.

“They questioned me for about an hour and then the beating started because they said I have to confess. I was tortured; every question came with a slap. When they ask anything and before I could say anything then the slaps,” he claimed.

The Media Coalition Against Abuse (MCAA) has condemned the act and urging all journalists in the West African country to “stand against the subtle attempt by security agencies to intimidate journalists in their line of duty.” 

“Journalists concerned about this development should partake in the Media Red Friday event,” Convener of MCAA Mr. Emmanuel Gbikpo said in a statement.

“Journalists across the country are encouraged to wear red attire to work on Friday 5^thJuly, 2019 to register our displeasure. We’ll post pictures in our protest attire on social media platforms with the hashtag #MediaRedFriday. Long live the media fraternity,” he added.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa, there have been 31 violations in 18 months with over 40 victims.

“This has nothing against the government. We are not fighting the security agencies. The security agencies and the media work as partners. We are only fighting for the rights of our colleague journalists. Journalism is not a crime and no media person should be intimidated in discharging our constitutional duty,” coordinator of MCAA Mr. Osei Owusu Amankwah said.