UN human rights experts have called for the immediate release of some 21 lesbians, gay, bisexual, trans gender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) in Ghana.
A statement issued by the UN experts on Friday 4 June condemned the arrest and detention of the suspects, describing the act as “discriminatory”.
“We are deeply concerned by the arrests of the human rights defenders. All evidence available to us points to the fact that they were detained while they were peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the statement said.
It added: “Human rights defenders play a key role in protecting vulnerable groups from violence and discrimination and empowering them to claim their human rights. Ghana should ensure that no one is criminalised for defending the fundamental rights of LGBT people.”
The experts also pointed out that the root of the arrests allegedly lies in the criminalisation of consensual same-sex conduct.
The 21 suspects are currently on remand and will reappear in court on 8 June. They were arrested on 21 May.
The suspects, made up of 16 females and five males, were rounded up at a workshop, a statement from the police said.
This is the third time in three months that the police have clamped down on the activities of LGBTQI in the country.
Fred Dzakpata
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