The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered Ghana to compensate 30 members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) with $75,000 for unlawful detention without trial, ruling that the government violated constitutional and international human rights laws.
Each detainee will receive $2,500, with the court emphasizing Ghana’s failure to adhere to due process during arrests dating back to May 2019.
Presiding Justice Ricardo Gonçalves stated, “Prolonged detention without trial breaches the right to liberty,” citing violations of Ghana’s Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The HSGF members were arrested under a 1976 security decree, which the applicants argued was politically misused. Ghana’s national security defense was dismissed, with the court asserting that “even security concerns cannot justify indefinite detention.”
The court excluded the HSGF from the case due to lack of registration but upheld individual claims. It directed Ghana to charge or release the detainees within two weeks, rejecting broader self-determination arguments.
This ruling aligns with a recent ECOWAS judgment against Nigeria, reinforcing the court’s role in curbing rights abuses across West Africa.
