By Isaac Ato MENSAH
Accra \u2013 20 September, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Aljazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein has just spent his 1000th day in prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His arrest by Egyptian authorities is widely linked to reporting news about the former Egyptian leader and the Muslim Brotherhood – a body that has been classified by the present administration as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initial charges of “incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos” were dropped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the occasion of the 1000th day of his detention, aljazeera.com gave the following update:
\u201cIn May, an Egyptian court rejected an order by the state prosecutor to release him from prison\u2026..Authorities opened a new investigation against him with unspecified charges and returned him to prison. While in solitary confinement, Hussein suffered a broken arm and has been refused proper medical treatment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us direct our attention southwest to Ghana, and we see a similar trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, the attorneys for Gregory Afoko successfully convinced a high court to release their client since there were no charges against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the state prosecutors go round shopping for another high court that will be more favourable to the idea of his continued detention without charges, thus not inconvenient to a prosecution that is not ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In both cases the due process of law based on a time honoured tradition has been skewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is easy to see how some may argue that the prosecution shopping for a different court that is favourable to their cause is within the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This brings a sharp reminder of Martin Luther King: \u201cThere are good laws and there are bad laws.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In \u201cLetter From a Birmingham Jail\u201d, King reminded us of the imperative to oppose bad laws with logic and the force of conscience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do we agree to play within a rules based system that also allows for shifting of the goalposts? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is like chasing your shadow,\u201d my mentor observes of such situations. “Logic flies away in the face of the actions of the prosecutors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the \u201csecond opinion\u201d court should rule against the prosecution will they ever accept it or will they continue with their impious designs? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our Ghanaian system all accused persons should be worried on account of these prior documented and overt actions of the government!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those who might lack clarity, the legal system is different from the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A legal system is founded on the philosophy of natural justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Laws are a subset of the legal system, made by legislation, executive orders and set by the precedents of court judgements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good legal system has “very noble goals bordering on the transcendental\u201d as my mentor has observed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of us men and women of goodwill are required to create one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is therefore our collective responsibility as sentient beings to speak up against cruelty and high handedness in the legal systems around the world ever saying with Martin Luther King: \u201cInjustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gregory Afoko and Mahmoud Hussein will always remain in our thoughts even after the right things are done for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Writers and Shakespeares Ghana Limited exist to be a moral and intellectual guide to the best practice of PR and integrated communications around the world, beginning with Ghana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"