The ICJ has sent a cable to President Nkrumah of Ghana concerning reports of arrests, it was announced today.
Sir Leslie Munro, the Secretary-General of the Commission, stated that the Commission has learned with “profound concern” of recent reports of the arrest of leading lawyers and a large number of other persons and “in view of the disquiet these reports are having on the world legal community” requested information concerning the charges against those arrested.
The full text of the cable is:
“THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS OF WHICH I HAVE THE HONOUR TO BE THE SECRETARY GENERAL HAS LEARNED WITH PROFOUND CONCERN REPORTS OF THE ARREST OF LEADING LAWYERS AND A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER PERSONS STOP AMONGST THE LAWYERS ARE JOE APPIAH, VICTOR OWUSU, J. B. DANQUAH, THE LATTER BEING THE CHAIRMAN OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE WHICH IS THE GHANA NATIONAL SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS STOP IN VIEW OF THE DISQUIET THESE REPORTS ARE HAVING ON THE WORLD LEGAL COMMUNITY AND IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS RECEIVED BY THE COMMISSION I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CHARGES AGAINST THE ABOVE MENTIONED LAWYERS AND OTHER PERSONS.”
(signed)
SIR LESLIE MUNRO
SECRETARY GENERAL
The International Commission of Jurists is a non-governmental organization, supported by some 40,000 lawyers and jurists from all parts of the world. Its purpose is to defend and promote the Rule of Law. The Commission has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Apart from its publications, the Commission holds international meetings and has sent observers to the South African Treason Trials, the Yassiada Trials in Turkey, the Eichmann Trial and has sent observers to political trials in Spain and elsewhere. Its reports on the violations of the Rule of Law in Hungary and Tibet have been used in discussions and debates at the United Nations.
