Post by Imani Center for Policy and Education

Bentil: What the TikToker Said About Mahama Was Defamatory; the Remedy Is Not Criminal Prosecution Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has argued that while defamatory statements should be condemned, criminal prosecution is not the appropriate legal response. Reacting to the conviction and one-year prison sentence of TikToker Camilla Alhassan, who pleaded guilty to offensive conduct and the publication of false news, Mr Bentil maintained that the proper remedy for defamation is through civil legal processes, not criminal sanctions. He emphasised: 🔸 Defamatory speech should be addressed through the appropriate legal remedies. 🔸 Freedom of expression must be protected, even when speech is offensive or false. 🔸 Criminal prosecution should not be used to resolve defamation disputes. 🔸 Protecting constitutional rights requires applying proportionate legal responses. “What the lady did was defamatory, the remedy is NOT CRIMINAL PROSECUTION! We need to use the right remedies! Stop breaching rights.” Mr Bentil's comments contribute to the broader national conversation on balancing freedom of expression, protection of reputation and the appropriate use of criminal law within a constitutional democracy. Read here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d8nJj3Xp #IMANIvoices #RuleOfLaw #FreedomOfExpression #Governance #Justice #Ghana