Ex-spokesperson for the New Force files $1M suit against Ghana

The former Spokesperson of The New Force Movement, Shalimar Abbiusi, has filed a lawsuit against Ghana for human rights violations.

The suit, filed at the International ECOWAS court, demands $1 million in compensation for the alleged violations.

The 30-year-old Belgian national was arrested by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in December 2023 and charged with obtaining a student permit by false declaration.

She is said to have violated section 52 (1) (i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573), specifically “Obtaining for Yourself a Student Permit by False Declaration”.

Abbiusi’s activities came under the Immigration Service’s scrutiny after publicly declaring herself as The New Force’s spokesperson in a viral video.

Among other things, the video highlighted the suffering of Ghanaians under the Akufo-Addo administration using recent demonstrations to question the role of leadership in addressing the concerns of the citizenry.

Although she was dragged before the Kaneshie District Court, the charges against her were later dropped, and she was deported.

Abbiusi’s lawyers, led by Francis Xavier Sosu, filed the latest action on January 23, 2024, citing violations of her rights to liberty, fair hearing, equality before the law, and freedom of movement.

The lawsuit seeks nine reliefs, including a declaration of Ghana’s obligation to respect human rights and an order for compensatory damages.

Abbiusi’s legal team asserts that her deportation and subsequent criticism of the GIS for human rights abuses prompted the lawsuit.

In an earlier post on her X profile (formerly Twitter), the Belgian said, “Whatever happened will not break me or silence me, it inspired me to help others and bring attention to these injustices. This bold step I’m taking is not out of pain or revenge but rather out of love for humanity and for the love of people who became victims in similar circumstances.”