NPP condemns Camilla Alhassan’s jail sentence, announces support for appeal

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the one-year prison sentence handed to Madam Camilla Alhassan by the Accra Circuit Court, describing the conviction as a threat to free speech and constitutional democracy in Ghana.

In a statement issued on July 16, 2026, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said it was shocked by the court’s decision to convict and sentence Madam Alhassan for offensive conduct over comments she made online about President John Dramani Mahama.

The party argued that imprisoning a citizen over comments made in the exercise of free expression raises serious constitutional concerns, insisting that freedom of speech is protected under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution.

According to the NPP, if the President believed he had been defamed, the appropriate remedy should have been a civil defamation suit rather than criminal prosecution.

The statement accused the state of using the police, the Attorney General and the courts to punish a citizen for expressing an opinion, adding that such actions could discourage Ghanaians from freely expressing their views.

The NPP criticised the treatment of Madam Alhassan during the court proceedings and after her conviction.

It described the manner in which she was handled by security officers as dehumanising and said it undermined the dignity of the individual and public confidence in law enforcement.

The party called on the Ghana Police Service to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of citizens rather than become an instrument of intimidation.

It further appealed to civil society organisations, the Ghana Bar Association, the media and human rights groups to speak against what it described as the criminalisation of free expression.

The NPP urged the National Peace Council to encourage the government to uphold constitutional freedoms, while calling on the diplomatic community and Ghana’s international partners to continue supporting democratic values and the protection of civil liberties in the country.

The party announced that it would support an immediate appeal against Madam Alhassan’s conviction and sentence.

It pledged to stand with her and her legal team to pursue every lawful avenue to challenge the ruling.

The NPP maintained that Ghana must not return to a period where citizens fear expressing their views, stressing that it would continue to defend the constitutional rights of Ghanaians to speak freely and hold those in authority accountable.

By: Jacob Aggrey