Outright criminal activities are being done in the name of journalism – Samson Ayenini

Journalists arrested for various crimes

Government criticized for the arrest of journalists

Arresting criminal journalists not an abuse of human rights, Samson Ayenini

Private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Ayenini, has noted what he says are some persons perpetuating crime under the guise of journalism practice.

According to the lawyer, it cannot be the case

Read full articlethat the arrest of such criminals is a violation of press freedom or human rights violations.

He emphasized that the police by their mandate are not required to acquire a warrant to arrest a person suspected to have committed a crime.

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He noted that it is discriminatory on the part of the police when persons within the journalism and political space and others in notable positions are invited by the police and treated with dignity while an ordinary Ghanaian is treated otherwise upon the suspicion of committing a crime.

"The people who start shouting when a police touch them that where is your warrant and you can't arrest me without a warrant, I am sorry that is not what the law says," he added.

The arrest and commencement of criminal proceedings against some journalists in the last few weeks have attracted various criticisms.

According to some critics, the arrests of the journalists - some of whom are known to be critics of the government is an attempt to oppress press freedom.

“I will disappoint a lot of you journalists, because of what I know, it is very disturbing including outright criminal activity in the name of journalism. Journalists are human beings like anybody else. There are journalists who are thieves and if they are caught, it should not be a question of human rights being abused,” Samson Lardy Anyenini told Joy FM’s morning show host Kojo Yankson.