Probe military brutality in Ashaiman, says Amnesty International
The human rights group wants the military to step back and allow the police to investige the murder case
Amnesty International Ghana has called for an independent probe into military brutalities on civilians in Ashaiman last Tuesday.
Military personnel besieged the notorious town Tuesday dawn following the killing of a member of the Ghana Armed Forces Band, Sherif Imoro, 21, a trumpeter who was originally stationed at Sunyani in the Bono Region.
He was in Accra for a military course and in the last three weeks, had been visiting his parents in their home at Ashaiman every Friday, multiple media sources said.
It was during one of his visits that he was reportedly confronted by a gang who killed him.
The human rights group has condemned the behaviour of the military after videos emerged that some civilians were tortured in the swoop.
“Amnesty International Ghana is against all forms of violence and human rights abuses and condemns the violence meted out by the military on civilians,” the group said in a statement. “The military is to take a step back and allow the Ghana Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation into the unfortunate killing of the soldier.”
“Amnesty International Ghana is calling for an independent investigation, as a matter of urgency to ensure the personnel involved in carrying out human right abuses against the people of Ashaiman are held accountable and that adequate compensation be given to the victim,” the statement said.
Below is the full statement:
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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