High Court trial of journalist Latif Iddrisu may end in settlement after eight years

The long-running High Court case involving Latif Iddrisu and the Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General of Ghana has taken a significant turn, with senior state lawyers informing the court of plans to compensate the journalist and resolve the matter out of court.

The case, which began in 2018, stems from an alleged assault on Mr Iddrisu by police officers while he was covering a protest outside the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters. The journalist claims the attack left him with a fractured skull and long-term health complications, requiring medical treatment, including in the United States.

On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, Senior State Attorney Nancynita Twumasi Asiamah told the Human Rights Division of the High Court that the IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno and the Attorney-General have begun processes to compensate Mr. Iddrisu. She explained that a defence witness scheduled for cross-examination did not appear due to progress toward finalising a settlement, and she asked the court to discontinue the trial.

The journalist’s lawyer, Sampson Lardie Anyenini, welcomed the settlement initiative but urged the court to allow proceedings to continue alongside negotiations to prevent setbacks if the parties fail to reach an agreement.

Trial judge Eudora Christina Dadson granted a one-month adjournment, setting the next hearing for 2 April 2026, during which the defence is expected to present settlement terms. She warned that if the terms are not submitted, the trial will resume.

The development marks a shift from the stance of former IGP George Akuffo Dampare, who reportedly rejected previous settlement offers by the former Attorney-General.

The Iddrisu case has drawn widespread attention from press freedom groups and media organisations, highlighting concerns over impunity and slow judicial processes in cases involving attacks on journalists in Ghana.

Nearly a decade after the alleged incident, the case now hangs in the balance, with both sides working toward an agreed resolution that could bring closure to the journalist’s prolonged ordeal.