Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, the Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has raised concerns over a worrying trend of arrests linked to alleged free speech violations across the country.

His observations follow a petition sent by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the Diplomatic Corps.

The petition was triggered by the arrest of the NPP's Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, widely known as Abronye DC, who faces charges under Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act for allegedly offensive conduct and related offences.

Speaking to Citi News, Dr Asante cautioned that this development risks setting a dangerous precedent that could lead to broader restrictions on expression if left unchecked.

The Risk to Ordinary Citizens and Media

Dr Asante emphasised that the consequences of these actions extend far beyond political figures, threatening the speech of journalists, online commentators, and ordinary citizens alike.

"When you start arresting people for insults, other kinds of behavior, including commentary on public policy and things like that, that is a slippery slope nobody wants to get in. This is not just a question of whether it is political actors," Dr Asante warned.

"We are all going to be at risk if our voices are going to be attacked that way. This is about citizens; it happened to even media people online."

Reservations Over New Legislative Drafts

Compounding these worries are ongoing legislative discussions regarding a proposed Misinformation, Disinformation, and Hate Speech bill.

Dr Asante revealed that CDD-Ghana has already raised strong objections to specific elements of the draft bill originating from the Ministry of Communication, arguing its broad definitions could criminalise routine public discourse.

"We have said that there is currently some legislation that is making the rounds, I think from the Ministry of Communication, on information, misinformation, we have expressed very strong reservations against it because of the broad scope of actions that they see as criminal," he noted.

"I think it will be a big mistake to go down that tangent. So there needs to be a really public conversation. We are willing to provide the platform to have this conversation. We are very concerned."

Dr Asante stressed the urgent need for wider public engagement on the proposed law, insisting that efforts to regulate misinformation must not end up undermining constitutionally protected freedom of expression.