GHANA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 11May 2012 GHANA 11 MAY 2012 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN GHANA FROM 21 APRIL TO 10 MAY 2012 Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON GHANA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED AFTER 20 APRIL 2012 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.04 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ........................................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ...................................................................................................................... 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 9.01 Police..................................................................................................................... 9.03 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 9.09 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 9.12 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 9.13 Torture................................................................................................................ 9.17 Extra-judicial killings........................................................................................... 9.20 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 9.22 10. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.02 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.05 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.09 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 11.12 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 15.06 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.10 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 16.01 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 17.01 18. CORRUPTION............................................................................................................ 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................................. 19.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 20 April 2012. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 10 May 2012. 11 MAY 2012 GHANA Overview ........................................................................................................... 19.01 Religious demography..................................................................................... 19.05 Treatment of religious minorities.................................................................... 19.07 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 20.01 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 21.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 21.01 Gay and bisexual men ................................................................................... 21.06 Lesbian and bisexual women......................................................................... 21.07 Transgender persons..................................................................................... 21.08 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities............................................... 21.09 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 21.13 22. DISABILITY ............................................................................................................... 22.01 23. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 23.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 23.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 23.06 Political rights....................................................................................................... 23.08 Social and economic rights................................................................................. 23.11 Education ....................................................................................................... 23.14 Employment ................................................................................................... 23.16 Reproductive rights ........................................................................................ 23.18 Abortion.......................................................................................................... 23.19 Marriage......................................................................................................... 23.20 Divorce........................................................................................................... 23.23 Widows .......................................................................................................... 23.24 Violence against women...................................................................................... 23.25 Domestic violence.......................................................................................... 23.29 Witchcraft....................................................................................................... 23.31 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) ................................................................... 23.34 Ritual Servitude: Trokosi................................................................................ 23.38 Government and NGO assistance....................................................................... 23.42 24. CHILDREN ................................................................................................................ 24.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 24.01 Basic legal information ....................................................................................... 24.05 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 24.09 Violence against children .................................................................................... 24.10 Childcare and protection ..................................................................................... 24.13 Education .............................................................................................................. 24.15 Health and welfare................................................................................................ 24.18 25. TRAFFICKING............................................................................................................ 25.01 26. MEDICAL ISSUES....................................................................................................... 26.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs.................................. 26.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment...................................................................