The Minority in Parliament has called on the Mahama administration to discontinue the reported second prosecution of jailed TikToker Camilla Alhassan and stop using laws it says restrict freedom of speech.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Friday, July 17, 2026, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged the government to end prosecutions under Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, arguing that the provisions are outdated and have no place in a modern democracy.
His comments come after an Accra Circuit Court sentenced the 43-year-old TikToker to one year in prison with hard labour after she pleaded guilty to offensive conduct over remarks she made about President John Dramani Mahama in a TikTok video.
Although Alhassan has already been convicted, the Ghana Police Service has indicated that she will also face a separate charge of false communication under the Electronic Communications Act.
Reacting to the development, Afenyo-Markin said the second prosecution should be withdrawn.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of all pending prosecutions under Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, including the second prosecution threatened against Camilla Alhassan,” he said.
The Minority also called for the release of people currently serving prison terms under the same provisions, citing the case of Kwame Nkrumah II.
“We demand the discharge of any person currently serving a sentence, including Kwame Nkrumah II. There’s a gentleman, Kwame Nkrumah II, who was jailed about six months ago over a TikTok video,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin further urged Parliament to quickly pass legislation to repeal the two sections, saying the Minority has already introduced a bill.
“We demand the passage, without delay, of legislation repealing both sections. The Mighty Minority is proposing legislation along the lines of the bill already before the House,” he said.
He also appealed to President Mahama to direct law enforcement agencies to stop prosecuting people under the disputed provisions.
“We are asking His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama to ensure that no prosecution is undertaken by the police forthwith,” he said.
According to the Minority, repealing the two sections would strengthen Ghana’s democratic reforms following the repeal of the criminal libel law in 2001.
