Social justice activist Felicity Nelson has condemned the conditions of the cells where she and others were detained following the #StopGalamsey protest, likening her experience to the notorious slave dungeons of Elmina and Cape Coast. Speaking in an interview with Lily Mohammed on GHOne TV, Nelson described the harsh conditions she endured during her detention, igniting public discourse on police treatment of protesters.
Nelson was among several protesters arrested for their participation in the #StopGalamsey demonstration, which called for stronger action against illegal mining operations that threaten the environment and livelihoods. Reflecting on her time in the Railways cell, Nelson described the complete absence of light and proper ventilation, stating, “It reminded me of being in any of the slave dungeons. The smell in there, it was just like that.”
She further recounted the dire state of sanitation and access to basic needs, including the lack of running water. “If you wanted water, you had to buy sachet water,” Nelson explained, revealing that detainees had to rely on well-wishers for necessities. Nelson detailed how she and other inmates used sachets of water to wash and maintain minimal hygiene, with broken toilets in some cells exacerbating the squalid conditions.
Beyond the physical discomfort, Nelson also highlighted systemic abuses of detainees’ rights. She claimed that in two of the three stations she was transferred to—Batchona and Cantonments—she was denied the ability to contact her family or lawyer, a common issue for many detainees. “I started wondering, all these people we see that are missing, how do we know they’re not stuck in a police cell somewhere?” Nelson remarked, reflecting on the widespread practice of withholding detainees’ right to communication.
Nelson’s powerful testimony has brought renewed attention to the conditions faced by protesters and others held in Ghana’s detention facilities, raising questions about human rights violations and the treatment of political activists in custody.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Emmanuel Mensah
