The political movement New Force has issued a sincere apology to the Kingdom of Belgium, the European Union (EU) committee, and the international community for the mistreatment of Shalimar Abbiusi by Ghana’s security agencies.
New Force expressed regret for Shalimar’s unsettling experience stating that it tarnished Ghana’s human rights reputation and its standing within the international community.
Shalimar was arrested and detained after appearing in the political movement’s campaign video, facing charges of obtaining a student residency permit by false declaration and experiencing a prolonged detention by the National Investigation Bureau, along with the alleged search and ransacking of her home.
After the state prosecutors dropped all charges against Shalimar Abbiusi, she was subsequently rearrested by the Immigration Service outside the courtroom. Following her rearrest, she was deported the next day.
“The movement acknowledges the strain on her family and sympathizes with their aggrieved feelings over reported gross misconduct and malpractice by trusted officials. Shallie has since returned to the Kingdom of Belgium. The New Force stands for the empowerment of people,” the New Force said in a statement.
The New Force group called on the international community not to reciprocate the displeasure experienced by the country in response to Shalimar Abbiusi’s treatment.
“We hope that Ghana reconsiders their reported misuse of power for political interests and realigns herself with a robust legal framework that preserves our global standing as a country of justice and peace. To us, the integrity of our country and its international reputation is more important than partisan political interest,” it added.
