The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has expressed grave concern over the reported assault and detention of JoyNews journalist Carlos Calony and his cameraman, Jonas Dodzi Voegborlo, by operatives of Ghana’s National Security.
The incident, as gathered by WorkdClass247News, occurred on Wednesday, July 30, while the journalists were covering the demolition of a warehouse at Spintex, Accra reportedly linked to the McDan Group.
According to Calony, they were speaking to an eyewitness at the site when soldiers arrived and questioned why they were filming the exercise.
In a live interview with JoyNews, Calony recounted how one of the operatives punched him twice in the neck while he was on the phone with his producer. “At that point, I lost control and almost fell down,” he said. Despite identifying themselves as members of the press, the officers allegedly seized their equipment, including phones and a camera, and assaulted Voegborlo as well.
The journalists, along with the eyewitness, were later detained and taken to the National Security Secretariat (Blue Gate), where their phones were searched for any footage of the incident. Calony was held for 45 minutes before being released.
Speaking to the MFWA while receiving treatment at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Calony reported experiencing severe neck pain. “We were beaten for simply doing our job,” he said.
The MFWA described the assault as a gross violation of press freedom and human rights, citing Article 162 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the independence of the media.
The Foundation also condemned the continued pattern of attacks on journalists, noting that this was the second such incident involving security personnel in less than a month.
The incident comes barely a day after President John Mahama, at the 13th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance in Africa held in Addis Ababa, urged African leaders to protect press freedom and civic rights.
The MFWA said the attack contradicts the President’s recent remarks that democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear and repression.
The Presidency, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, has since condemned the attack and called for investigations and appropriate sanctions.
While welcoming this response, the MFWA is demanding urgent and transparent action from the Minister of Defence and the National Security Coordinator.
“The recent conduct of National Security operatives, which appears to disregard constitutional protections and human dignity, is becoming deeply troubling,” the MFWA stated. “We call on the government to address these excesses without delay.”
The Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to holding authorities accountable and defending the rights of journalists across the region.