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Tag: sanction

  • Punish individuals arrested for electoral malpractices – CODEO demands

    Punish individuals arrested for electoral malpractices – CODEO demands

    The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) is urging the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure the prosecution of individuals arrested for inciting violence during the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

    Instances of violence have occurred at registration centers across various regions, including Kukuom in the Ahafo Region, Adugyama in the Ashanti Region, and Cape Coast in the Central Region.

    Albert Arhin, the National Coordinator at CODEO, emphasized the importance of prosecuting these individuals, stating it as a crucial deterrent against future similar actions.

    During a press conference on Tuesday, May 14, Mr. Arhin highlighted that the failure to take legal action would only embolden others to engage in disruptive behavior during electoral processes.

    He urged security agencies to swiftly apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the disturbances, stressing the importance of impartiality and diligence in the process.

    “The culprits, those who indulge in these election malpractices are to be punished. And the citizenry should see that these people are punished.

    “The moment you just make a wishy-washy kind of arrest, then we don’t hear anything again, people will always want to do it again. So when we arrest them, let us prosecute them so that it serves as a deterrent to others.”

    “If we don’t punish, people will think that it is something that everybody can do and they will go on committing and committing and committing these daily mistakes,” he said.

    Furthermore, the Electoral Commission (EC) has expressed a comparable stance, calling on the Ghana Police Service to ensure that individuals accountable for the disruptions face legal action in court.

  • 8 sanctions imposed by ECOWAS on Niger after coup

    8 sanctions imposed by ECOWAS on Niger after coup

    On July 30, in Abuja, Nigeria, an extraordinary meeting of West African leaders was convened under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.

    The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recent coup in Niger, which resulted in the removal of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and the assumption of power by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani-led junta.

    After the meeting concluded, a series of sanctions were imposed on the country, which includes:

    1. Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger;

    2. Institution of ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from
    Niger;

    3. Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between
    ECOWAS Member States and Niger;

    4. Freeze of all service transaction including utility services;

    5. Freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks;

    6. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the State Enterprises and
    Parastatals in Commercial Banks;

    7. Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with
    all financial institutions, particularly, EBID and BOAD;

    8. Travel ban and asset freeze for the military officials involved in the coup
    attempt. The same applies to their family members and the civilians who
    accept to participate in any institutions or government established by
    these military officials;

    9. Calls on WAEMU and all other regional bodies to implement this
    decision.

    Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the current Chairperson of ECOWAS having been elected barely a month ago.

  • You do not do as you please when you feel like it – Europe reacts to Musk ban of journalists on Twitter

    A strong backlash in Europe has been sparked by Elon Musk’s decision to abruptly ban prominent tech journalists from Twitter.

    Germany issued a press freedom alert, and a top EU official warned Twitter to abide by EU regulations or risk sanctions.

    “Freedom of the press cannot be switched on and off as you please,” Germany’s foreign ministry tweeted on Friday. “As of today these journalists are no longer able to follow us, to comment or criticize. We have a problem with that @Twitter.”

    Věra Jourová, the European Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, said the “arbitrary suspension” of journalists was “worrying,” and she indicated that the company could face penalties as a result.

    “The EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct,” Jourová said in a post on Twitter, adding that Musk “should be aware of that.”

    “There are red lines,” she continued. “And sanctions, soon.”

    On Thursday evening, Twitter banned the accounts of several high-profile journalists from top news organizations without explanation, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, The New York Times’ Ryan Mac and The Washington Post’s Drew Harwell.

    Neither Musk nor Twitter responded to a request for comment Thursday evening, and the platform did not explain precisely why the journalists were barred from the platform.

    Musk falsely claimed that the journalists had violated his new “doxxing” policy by sharing his live location, amounting to what he described as “assassination coordinates.” CNN’s O’Sullivan did not share the billionaire’s live location.

    Shortly before his suspension, O’Sullivan reported on Twitter that the social media company had suspended the account of an emerging competitive social media service, Mastodon, which has allowed the continued posting of @ElonJet, an account that posts the location of Musk’s private jet.

    Other reporters suspended Thursday had also recently written about the account.

    European leaders previously said they were watching how Musk’s takeover of Twitter would affect the platform.

    Thierry Breton, a top EU official, warned Musk in late November that the social media platform must take significant steps to comply with the bloc’s content moderation laws.

    “Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising,” Breton said at the time. “All of this requires sufficient AI and human resources, both in volumes and skills. I look forward to progress in all these areas and we will come to assess Twitter’s readiness on site.”

    Source: People.com