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The Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) has condemned the alleged assault against the Tema Regional correspondent of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Della Russell Ocloo.

AWMA, a body of nearly three hundred women in media across the 16 regions of Ghana has also condemned the actions of the police and is "calling for investigation, accountability and consequences from these alleged actions".

Dela Russel Ocloo was on Sunday harassed, arrested and detained for several hours by the police while covering a demonstration dubbed ‘1000 women march’; a protest against some tribal comments made by the founder of the Glorious Wave Church International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi.

The journalist who was there to cover the event was subjected to all forms of inhumane treatment by the man of God and some of his members before being handed over to the police,

AWMA in a statement signed by its convener, Shamima Muslim Al-Hassan, has further called on the nation’s media houses to secure their employees with appropriate measures to enable them to carry out their work as media practitioners without fear of attack.

Read AWMA's full statement below

The Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) condemns the alleged assault against the Tema Regional correspondent of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Della Russell Ocloo. Ms. Russell is a member of AWMA. This body of nearly three hundred women in media across the 16 regions of Ghana also condemns the actions of the police. AWMA is calling for investigation, accountability and consequences from these alleged actions.

On Sunday 4th August 2019, Della Russell was allegedly attacked by some agitated members of the Glorious Wave Church. Ms. Russell had gone to report on a protest by the ‘1000 Women’s March’ against the recent ethnocentric comments by the church’s lead pastor, Prophet Badu Kobi.

Ms. Russell was allegedly manhandled by church members, they demanded she deletes footage she had taken of the church’s activities, and one member threatened Ms. Russell with a club with nails attached to it. The police were called.

The police allegedly:-

- Forcibly pinned Ms. Russell down in the police car
- Seized her phones when she demanded to know if she was under arrest
- Denied her right to call her lawyer
- The Station Officer demanded Ms. Russell be detained and taken to court the next morning

The Police released Ms. Russell without charges, explanation, apology or further action.

AWMA denounces this reprehensible conduct. It typifies the increasingly dangerous environment within which journalists, especially women, practice their profession.

This is another example of rampant violations against the lawful conduct of media practitioners.

The Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) responds to these acts as follows:-

• AWMA condemns this act of brutality against Della Russell Ocloo by the church members
• AWMA condemns the actions by the police.
• AWMA demands a full and thorough investigation into the police’s response
• AWMA calls on the IGP to initiate this investigation and call his officers to account
• AWMA calls on the nation’s media houses to secure their employees with appropriate measures to enable them to carry out their work as media practitioners without fear of attack.

The Media, Journalism is a profession. The freedom of the media is protected and guaranteed under chapter 12 of Ghana’s Constitution.

That freedom, guaranteed by law, is increasingly threatened by this violation by citizens and by those whose duty it is to uphold the law and protect citizens.

AWMA issues this statement as a call to action to investigate the Church members behaviour and that of the police.

#AWMAstrongertogether
#JournalismIsNotACrime

Signed,
Shamima Muslim Al-Hassan
Convenor
ALLIANCE for WOMEN in MEDIA AFRICA (AWMA)*