THE STATE OF

THE WORLD9S

HUMAN RIGHTS
APRIL 2025
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

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mobilizes the humanity in everyone and campaigns for change so we

can all enjoy our human rights. Our vision is of a world where those in

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determination. Given this and our interest in highlighting state

accountability, we organize our information on human rights in the

world primarily according to the division of states that are accountable

for the human rights situation on their territory.

First published in 2025 by Except where otherwise noted, This report documents key

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non-commercial, no derivatives, presenting a global analysis of
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© Amnesty International 2025

human rights situation Amnesty

Index: POL 10/8515/2025
For more information, please visit
International has monitored
ISBN:º978-0-86210-510-5
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during 2024.

Original language: English

website: [Link]
The absence of a particular

country or territory does not imply

that no human rights violations

of concern to Amnesty

International took place there

during the year. Nor is the length

of a country entry any basis for a

comparison of the extent and

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concerns there. This report does

not cover extensively the use of

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International issues a separate

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sentences and executions.

ii Amnesty International Report

 THE STATE OF

THE WORLD9S

HUMAN RIGHTS
APRIL 2025
iv Amnesty International Report
CONTENTS
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S HUMAN RIGHTS

Abbreviations 7 Denmark 150

Preface 9 Dominican Republic 150

Global analysis 16 Ecuador 152

Africa regional overview 26 Egypt 153

Americas regional overview 34 El Salvador 158

û
Asia-Paci c regional overview 42 Equatorial Guinea 161

Europe and Central Asia regional Eritrea 163

overview 50 Eswatini 164

Middle East and North Africa regional Ethiopia 166

overview 59 Fiji 168

Afghanistan 70 Finland 169

Albania 73 France 170

Algeria 75 Gambia 174

Andorra 77 Georgia 176

Angola 78 Germany 178

Argentina 80 Ghana 181

Armenia 82 Greece 182

Australia 83 Guatemala 185

Austria 85 Guinea 187

Azerbaijan 86 Haiti 189

Bahrain 89 Honduras 190

Bangladesh 90 Hungary 191

Belarus 94 India 193

Belgium 96 Indonesia 197

Benin 97 Iran 201

Bolivia 99 Iraq 206

Bosnia and Herzegovina 100 Ireland 210

Botswana 102 Israel and the Occupied Palestinian

Brazil 103 Territory 211

Bulgaria 107 Italy 216

Burkina Faso 109 Japan 219

Burundi 111 Jordan 220

Cambodia 114 Kazakhstan 223

Cameroon 116 Kenya 225

Canada 118 Kosovo 228

Central African Republic 120 Kuwait 229

Chad 122 Kyrgyzstan 231

Chile 124 Laos 233

China 126 Lebanon 234

Colombia 132 Lesotho 238

Congo 136 Libya 239

Côte d9Ivoire 138 Madagascar 244

Croatia 140 Malawi 245

Cuba 141 Malaysia 247

Cyprus 143 Maldives 249

Czech Republic 144 Mali 250

Democratic Republic of the Congo 146 Malta 252

Contents v
Mexico 254 Togo 363

Moldova 258 Tunisia 364

Mongolia 260 Türkiye 368

Montenegro 261 Turkmenistan 372

Morocco/Western Sahara 262 Uganda 373

Mozambique 265 Ukraine 376

Myanmar 268 United Arab Emirates 380

Namibia 271 United Kingdom 382

Nepal 272 United States of America 385

Netherlands 274 Uruguay 390

New Zealand 275 Uzbekistan 392

Nicaragua 276 Venezuela 394

Niger 278 Viet Nam 398

Nigeria 280 Yemen 400

North Korea 283 Zambia 404

North Macedonia 285 Zimbabwe 406

Norway 286

Pakistan 287

Palestine (State of) 291

Papua New Guinea 293

Paraguay 294

Peru 296

Philippines 299

Poland 301

Portugal 303

Puerto Rico 304

Qatar 306

Romania 308

Russia 309

Rwanda 314

Saudi Arabia 316

Senegal 320

Serbia 322

Sierra Leone 324

Singapore 326

Slovakia 327

Slovenia 329

Somalia 330

South Africa 332

South Korea 335

South Sudan 337

Spain 340

Sri Lanka 343

Sudan 346

Sweden 348

Switzerland 349

Syria 350

Taiwan 354

Tajikistan 355

Tanzania 358

Thailand 360

vi Amnesty International Report

ABBREVIATIONS

European Convention on Human Rights

AI
(European) Convention for the Protection of
û
Arti cial intelligence
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

ASEAN
ICC
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
International Criminal Court

AU
ICCPR
African Union
International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights
CEDAW

UN Convention on the Elimination of All

ICESCR
Forms of Discrimination against Women
International Covenant on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights

CEDAW Committee

UN Committee on the Elimination of

ICRC
Discrimination against Women
International Committee of the Red Cross

CERD
ILO
International Convention on the Elimination of
International Labour Organization
All Forms of Racial Discrimination

International Convention against enforced

CERD Committee
disappearance
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial
International Convention for the Protection of
Discrimination
All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

COP29
INGO
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to
International non-governmental organization
the UN Framework Convention on Climate

Change
LGBTI

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and

ECOWAS
intersex
Economic Community of West African States

MP
Escazú Agreement
Member of parliament
Regional Agreement on Access to

Information, Public Participation and Justice

NATO
in Environmental Matters in Latin America
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
and the Caribbean

NDC
EU
Nationally determined contribution
European Union

NGO
European Committee for the Prevention of
Non-governmental organization
Torture

European Committee for the Prevention of

OAS
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
Organization of American States
or Punishment

Abbreviations 7
 UN Special Rapporteur on torture
OCHA
UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other
û
United Nations Of ce for the Co-ordination of
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
Humanitarian Affairs
punishment

OHCHR, the UN human rights of ce û

UN Special Rapporteur on violence against
û
Of ce of the United Nations High
women and girls
Commissioner for Human Rights
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against

women and girls, its causes and

OSCE
consequences
Organization for Security and Co-operation in

Europe
UNESCO

û
United Nations Educational, Scienti c and
UN
Cultural Organization
United Nations

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency

UN Convention against Torture
û
Of ce of the United Nations High
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Commissioner for Refugees
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or

Punishment
UNICEF

United Nations Children9s Fund

UNDP
UN Development Programme
UPR

UN Universal Periodic Review

UN Refugee Convention

Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

WHO

World Health Organization

UN Special Rapporteur on climate change

UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and

protection of human rights in the context of

climate change

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial

executions

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,

summary or arbitrary executions

UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty

UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty

and human rights

UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of

expression
UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and

protection of the right to freedom of opinion

and expression

UN Special Rapporteur on racism

UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary

forms of racism, racial discrimination,

xenophobia and related intolerance

8 Amnesty International Report

PREFACE

The world is at a historic juncture. Unprecedented forces are hunting

down the ideals of human rights for all, seeking to destroy an

international system forged in the blood and grief of World War Two and

its Holocaust. This religious, racial, patriarchal crusade, which aims for

an economic order predicated on even greater inequality between and

within states, imperils hard won equality, justice and dignity gains of

these past 80 years.

A multiplicity of assaults 3 against human rights accountability,

against international law, and against the UN 3 have been but some of

the hallmarks of the ûrst 100 days of US President Donald Trump9s

<reign= in 2025.

But those reckless and punishing offensives, against efforts to end

global poverty and undo long standing racial and gender-based

discrimination and violence, did not start this year. Red lines don9t turn

green overnight.

Since his second inauguration, President Trump9s actions are

accelerating in directions that Amnesty International and other human

rights organizations have already üagged 3 our warnings were

dismissed; our appeals, ignored. His trajectory is continuous with, and

the product of, systemic, deliberate and selective decisions taken over

the past decade but reaching new depths in 2025.

Make no mistake. This is not merely about President Trump. The

roots are far deeper. And, unless there is concerted and courageous

resistance, this historic juncture will mutate into an historic

transformation: not merely an era of change but a change of era.

A NIGHTMARE THAT BEGAN IN SLOW MOTION

For a decade or more, the world has witnessed a steady spread of

authoritarian laws, policies and practices, shrinking civic space and

eroding enjoyment of freedom of expression or association. Policy

choices have deepened inequality, increased poverty and nourished

billionaires. The Covid pandemic laid bare the greed, racism and

û
sel shness of powerful states prepared to let millions die. And

confronted with the climate crisis, states largely failed to live up to their

promises made in Paris in 2015.

With multiple red lights üashing critical warnings, there then came,
in 2024, genocide.

2024: GENOCIDE LIVE-STREAMED AS IT HAPPENED

Since 7 October 2023 3 when Hamas perpetrated horri c crimesû

against Israeli citizens and others and captured more than 250

hostages 3 the world has been made audience to a live-streamed

genocide. States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands

upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational

families, destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals and schools.

2024 will be remembered for how Israel9s military occupation grew

ever more brazen and deadly, for the way the USA, Germany and a

handful of other European states supported Israel; the way the USA,

Preface 9
under the Biden administration, repeatedly vetoed UN Security Council

û
resolutions calling for a cease re and states continued arms transfers

to Israel.

In 2024, Israel and its powerful allies, ûrst among them the USA,
claimed that or acted as if international law did not apply to them,

wilfully ignoring orders of the International Court of Justice and

indictments of the International Criminal Court.

In 2024, President Vladimir Putin continued the systematic attacks

on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, killing more civilians than in 2023.

Destroying or occupying the majority of Ukraine9s thermal energy power

plants, Russia caused regular blackouts for thousands. It illegally tried

scores of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia and in areas of Ukraine

it occupied.

ü
In 2024, thousands of Sudanese deaths from con ict and hunger, in

the midst of the largest forced displacement crisis in the world, were

met with near-complete global indifference as was the lethal escalating

violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Niger or

Myanmar. The associated opportunities for arms trade were not

ignored, and calls for arms embargoes fell on deaf ears.

2024 demonstrated states9 willingness to deploy propaganda to the

ü û
service of armed con icts, ampli ed by social media algorithms and

powerful voices, and without regard to accuracy or hate-ridden

consequences.

In sum, 2024 dehumanized us all.

INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE AND MULTILATERALISM

South Africa, however, signalled that other choices can be made. Its

International Court of Justice case against Israel for allegedly breaching

the Genocide Convention is a crucial step towards justice. The

International Criminal Court (ICC) issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav

Gallant, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Al-Masri for alleged war

crimes and crimes against humanity was a historic breakthrough.

Yet countries that vigorously supported the ICC in its prosecution of

President Putin for the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children took a

very different response when it came to Israel. A number of US

senators threatened the ICC Prosecutor in 2024 and President Donald

Trump later sanctioned the Prosecutor in 2025.

The time has passed for lamenting the double standards of the

architects of the post-World War Two rules-based system. Before 2024

was over, many states were actively undermining that system9s

institutions and working against its values, resulting in a situation where

little more than a shell of its original intentions was left standing.

President Trump is just a super-accelerator of trends already well

advanced.

10 Amnesty International Report

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE MEDIA:

CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE

In 2020, Amnesty International warned of authoritarian tendencies

emerging across and within countries. We were right to be worried. In

2024, more authoritarian laws and practices were adopted. Attacks

û
against political dissent intensi ed, including through mass arrests and

enforced disappearances. More NGOs and more political parties were

forcibly disbanded, suspended or targeted arbitrarily as <extremist=.

There were disproportionate responses to civil disobedience and

unprecedented criminalization of human rights defenders, climate

activists, students and others expressing solidarity with Palestinians;

many were labelled as <terrorists=. Feminists and other campaigners

for the rights of women and LGBTI people continued to face massive

backlash. At least 21 states brought forward laws or bills aimed at

suppression of free speech or banning media outlets. The number of

journalists killed in 2024 reached new heights: according to the NGO

the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 124 journalists and media

workers were killed last year, nearly two thirds of them Palestinians

killed by Israel.

<DRILL, BABY, DRILL= MEETS <BURN, BABY, BURN=

In 2024, no region was left unscathed by the climate crisis. An intense

heatwave in South Asia was followed by devastating üoods affecting

û
millions and forcing the displacement of thousands. Record wild res in

South America destroyed Amazon rainforests and imperilled

ecosystems stretching across entire countries. In Somalia, droughts

and üoods destroyed communities, collapsed local economies, and

displaced families and communities.

2024 was the ûrst calendar year in which the global average
temperature rose to more than 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average.

Blazing temperatures demand trail-blazing climate action. Yet on top

of states9 failures to phase out use of fossil fuels, COP29 negotiations

delivered a miserly ûnancing agreement that risks trapping lower-

income countries in a cycle of indebtedness.

President Trump9s mantra of <drill, baby, drill= merely echoed what

was already underway, with his 2025 decision to withdraw the USA

from the Paris Climate Agreement welcomed by other fossil-fuel

dependent states.

And so, across the world, communities will keep burning, drowning,

dying.

A TOXIC MIX FOR MILLIONS

In 2024, the World Bank warned that <global poverty reduction slowed

to a near standstill during the past ûve years, raising concerns that
2020330 would be a lost would be a lost decade= in its report Poverty,

Prosperity and Planet: Pathways out of the Polycrisis.

ü
The toxic mix of manufactured poverty, con ict, political oppression

and the climate crisis displaced an estimated 110 million people in

2024. Yet rather than address root causes, many governments and

political movements weaponized xenophobic and racist rhetoric,

inciting hatred. Ignoring or circumventing judicial orders, they used

Preface 11
extreme and violent measures to push back irregular arrivals at their

borders.

GENDER EQUALITY? ATTACKS ON WOMEN9S AND LGBTI RIGHTS

In Afghanistan, 50% of the population, namely women and girls, were

condemned to what many have described as a <slow death=. The

Taliban government criminalized the public existence of women and

girls, passing so-called vice and virtue laws, denying their rights to work

and education. Dozens of women protesters were forcibly disappeared

or arbitrarily detained.

û
In Iran, new compulsory veiling laws intensi ed oppression of

women and girls, imposing üogging, exorbitant ûnes and harsh prison
û
sentences, while of cials and vigilantes who violently attack women

and girls for defying the law continued with impunity.

Violations of LGBTI rights escalated in many places, while

governments from Argentina to Russia introduced laws and/or policies

that restricted access to sexual and reproductive health services. In the

USA, Meta and TikTok removed certain abortion information online.

Meanwhile, gender-based violence including femicide, and sexual

ü
violence in armed con ict were reported on the rise in many parts of

the world.

THE END OF AN ERA?

Powerful states are deriding our history. They pretend that the lessons

of the 1930s and 1940s 3 from the Genocide Convention to the Geneva

Conventions to the UDHR and the UN Charter 3 can be set aside,

forgotten, erased. With Donald Trump9s election and signi cant û

corporate capture of his administration, we are turbo-thrusted into a

brutal era where military and economic power trumps human rights

and diplomacy; where gendered and racial hierarchies and zero-sum

thinking shape policy, where nihilistic nationalism drives international

relations.

HOW DO WE RESPOND?

In 2024, all 193 member states of the UN General Assembly agreed to

pave the way for a ûrst ever treaty on crimes against humanity. In
2024, the UN General Assembly also agreed to create a Framework

Convention on International Tax Cooperation, paving the way for

international cooperation to stop tax abuse and potentially providing

essential funding for rights realization. In 2024, the Gambia rejected a

bill to repeal the 2015 Women9s Amendment Act which bans female

û
genital mutilation. Poland adopted a consent-based de nition of rape,
th
becoming the 19 European country to do so, and the Bulgarian

parliament voted down a bill to create a Russian-style foreign agents

registry. In 2024, Belgian national courts recognized the country9s

responsibility for crimes against humanity committed during

colonization. And early in 2025, the Filipino authorities handed over

former President Duterte to the ICC to face crimes against humanity

charges for his deadly war on drugs.

12 Amnesty International Report

The UN Summit for the Future in September 2024 had its limitations.

However, states agreed to create a more equitable international system

by enabling greater representation within the Security Council,

especially for Africa, transforming the international ûnancial

architecture, addressing the debt crisis and increasing development

funds.

Crucially, the year of elections 3 64 took place across the world in

2024 3 did not result in a victory lap for anti-human rights forces.

Around the world, a large number of citizens voted for a different path,

demonstrating that the rise of authoritarian practices is not inevitable,

that it can be resisted.

The future is not set, but the world is at a critical juncture. One

hundred days into the Trump administration, some states are rising to

the challenge, but the majority are not. Instead, many pretend the new

emperor is honourably garbed; many are adopting the new emperor9s

clothes. The naked reality is very different: the silencing of dissent,

attacks on academic freedom, escalating military budgets, plundering

of aid allocations, trade retaliations: these are the see-through

garments of a world in deep crisis.

Yes, we must address the international system9s systemic failures to

uphold human rights. But today, we are facing re-energized forces that

are working to impose a new system altogether: not one better

equipped for equality and justice, but one without human rights

protections; not one better serving the rule of law, but one designed to

û
serve the rule of pro t over justice.

Organized resistance against those forces is not merely essential; it

is our only legitimate recourse. As they have always done when states

fail to uphold human rights, community organizers and human rights

defenders are standing up. They are resisting these regimes of power

û
and pro t that recklessly imperil our common dignity. They are showing

once again that civil society is the front line of defence of human rights

and fundamental freedoms.

Resist we must. Resist we will.

Agnès Callamard

Secretary General

April 2025

Preface 13
14 Amnesty International Report
 THE STATE OF

THE WORLD'S

HUMAN RIGHTS
GLOBAL ANALYSIS AND REGIONAL OVERVIEWS
GLOBAL ANALYSIS

Amnesty International9s research in 2024 highlights several key themes shaping current

global human rights trends: violations of international humanitarian law during armed

ü
con icts, repression of dissent, discrimination, economic and climate injustices, and the

misuse of technology to infringe on human rights. Despite some limited positive

developments, many of these trends represent setbacks that risk being exacerbated in 2025

and beyond, as states, particularly powerful ones, continue to undermine the international

rules-based system and authoritarian practices spread across different continents.

ARMED CONFLICT VIOLATIONS

Civilian populations faced war crimes in different countries and genocide in Gaza in 2024 and

have continued to do so in 2025. While international justice mechanisms have taken important

steps towards accountability in some cases, powerful governments have repeatedly blocked

attempts to take meaningful action to end atrocities.

CRIMES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

ü
Armed con icts have devastated the lives of millions of people around the world, including in

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of

Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Libya, Mali,

Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and

ü
Yemen. Parties to the con icts 3 both government forces and armed groups 3 have committed

war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, such as direct attacks

on civilians and civilian infrastructure and indiscriminate attacks that have killed and injured

civilians.

Many people, particularly those from marginalized communities, have been denied their

rights to education, food, water, adequate housing, healthcare and security. In August 2024,

the UN declared famine conditions in Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in Sudan.

With 11 million internally displaced people in 2024, Sudan faces the largest displacement

crisis in the world. As Russia has continued to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in

population centres in Ukraine with missiles and drones, basic living conditions have

plummeted for Ukrainian civilians, with children, older people and other at-risk groups paying a

particularly high price. Russia has also subjected detained Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of

war to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment.

Israel9s actions in Gaza have taken a catastrophic toll on Palestinian civilians and amounted

to genocide. Meanwhile, Israel9s system of apartheid and unlawful occupation has become

increasingly violent in the occupied West Bank, marked by a sharp increase in arbitrary

detentions, unlawful killings and state-backed attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians.

ü
There was an alarming surge in cases of con ict-related sexual and other gender-based

violence in some countries in 2024. In CAR, more than 11,000 cases of gender-based violence

were reported in the ûrst half of the year. In Sudan, the UN Independent International Fact-
Finding Mission for the Sudan found that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

perpetrated widespread sexual violence.

ü
Some violations in armed con ict settings have had a disproportionate impact on women

and girls. In Gaza, multiple waves of forced displacement have contributed to inhumane

conditions for over a million Palestinians, but particularly impacted pregnant and breast-

feeding women. In north-east Syria, thousands of women and girls have been detained for

more than ûve years without charge or trial in camps or detention facilities because of their
û
male relatives9 suspected af liation with the Islamic State armed group.

16 Amnesty International Report

 ü
Systemic racism has fuelled con icts. In Israel, political leaders have used dehumanizing

rhetoric against Palestinians. In Myanmar, the Rohingya have continued to face racist attacks,

causing many to üee their homeland in Rakhine State. In Sudan, some RSF attacks on civilians
have been ethnically motivated. Meanwhile, Russia has sought to change the demographics of

the Ukrainian territories it has occupied and suppressed Ukrainian and other local languages

and cultures.

Millions of people worldwide have protested against the crimes committed by parties to

ü
armed con icts. However, multilateral institutions, notably the UN Security Council, have often

ü
been unable or unwilling to pressure parties to armed con icts to comply with international

humanitarian law or to ensure humanitarian assistance matches the scale of the needs of

civilians. As a result, these institutions are losing legitimacy, and their continued existence is

being questioned.

Throughout 2024, governments 3 individually and multilaterally 3 failed repeatedly to take

meaningful action to end atrocities. The USA, the UK and many EU states publicly backed

Israel9s actions in Gaza. The USA abused its veto power, with the consequence that for months

the UN Security Council was not able to take any effective action, only calling for an immediate

û
but limited cease re on 25 March 2024. Even then, the USA undermined the Security Council

by declaring the resolution non-binding, in an effort to shield its ally from compliance. Stronger

action was taken by the UN General Assembly, which adopted, in September 2024, a

resolution calling for an end to Israel9s occupation of Palestine within 12 months and, in

û
December 2024, another two resolutions calling for a permanent cease re in Gaza, the release

of all hostages and the full, rapid, safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance into

û
and throughout Gaza, and reaf rming full support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees

(UNRWA). In November 2024, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an

end to attacks against civilians in Sudan and calling for facilitation of humanitarian assistance

to millions in desperate need there.

Governments should reform the UN Security Council so that permanent members cannot

use their veto power to block action aimed at ending and redressing atrocity crimes. They

should also increase humanitarian aid for civilians in need.

ACCOUNTABILITY

While its actions have been inadequate in some countries, such as Afghanistan and Nigeria,

the International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken important steps towards accountability in Israel

and the OPT, Libya and Myanmar. In October 2024, the ICC announced arrest warrants against

û
six leaders, senior members and af liates of the al-Kaniat armed group in Libya for war crimes.

In November 2024, the ICC Prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Senior General Min Aung

Hlaing for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people during military operations in

2017. In the same month, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders on

charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

û û
Some states clari ed that they would enforce the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli of cials.

However, a number of Israel's allies have announced they will not. Similarly, Mongolia failed to

û
ful l its obligation as a party to the Rome Statute to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, for

whom the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for war crimes in March 2023, when he visited the

country in September 2024.

In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued three sets of provisional measures in the

case brought by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention and issued an

advisory opinion ûnding that Israel9s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. Some states,
including Belgium and Spain, have complied with calls by UN experts to suspend arms exports

to Israel. Litigation by civil society actors has challenged arms transfers in countries such as

Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the UK. The USA has continued to be by far the largest

exporter of arms to Israel, and some European states, including the Czech Republic, France

Global analysis 17
and Germany, have continued to transfer arms to states where there was a lack of

accountability for past abuses and a substantial risk they could be used to commit or facilitate

serious violations, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Governments should support the ICC, protect it and its staff from sanctions and other

threats, and enforce its warrants. They should also stop irresponsible arms transfers.

REPRESSION OF DISSENT
Authorities in a broad sweep of countries have employed authoritarian practices and

introduced new measures to restrict freedom of expression, association and peaceful

assembly. They have used these and existing laws and regulations to clamp down on human

rights defenders, critics and opponents, or as a way to evade accountability and entrench

power.

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

In 2024, new restrictive regulations on the right to protest were approved or proposed in

Argentina, Georgia, Nicaragua, Pakistan and Peru. In some countries, including Türkiye,

authorities imposed blanket bans on protests.

Security forces often brutally and lethally dispersed protests, as well as using mass arbitrary

arrests and enforced disappearances to suppress them. In 2024, killings and/or mass arrests

of scores of protesters were documented in countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia,

Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Senegal.

In Bangladesh, the armed forces were deployed against student protests and <shoot-on-sight=

orders issued, resulting in close to a thousand deaths, with many more injured.

Across the world, including in Canada, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia,

the Maldives and the USA, advocates for an end to the war in Gaza and Palestinian rights have

faced violence, harassment or arrest.

The deployment of lethal and less lethal weapons against protesters has continued to lead to

deaths and injuries across the world. However, the global civil society campaign for an

international, legally binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty has been developing its global reach,

drawing state attention to the need for a treaty and gaining vocal support from a number of UN

Special Procedures.

In positive moves, in July 2024, the ECOWAS Court ruled that Nigeria had violated

#EndSARS protesters9 rights; in May, regulations in the UK enhancing police powers to restrict

protests were struck down as unlawful.

When the president of South Korea suspended fundamental rights, including the right to

peaceful assembly, following a declaration of martial law in December 2024, popular protests

successfully challenged the move. The National Assembly quickly reversed it and the president

was suspended from of ce. û

Governments should stop unlawfully deploying lethal and less lethal weapons against

protesters and redouble efforts towards negotiating and adopting a UN Torture-Free Trade

Treaty.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION

In 2024, authorities introduced or sought to introduce new restrictions on the right to freedom

of expression. States including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burkina Faso, China

(including Hong Kong), Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, India, Kyrgyzstan,

Lesotho, Moldova, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and

Viet Nam brought forward laws or bills that risked suppressing free speech or the banning of

media outlets.

18 Amnesty International Report

Authorities in Côte d9Ivoire, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guinea, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua,

Paraguay, Russia, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda and Venezuela, among other

countries, took new measures to restrict freedom of association. Measures included disbanding

or suspending NGOs or political parties, or labelling them <extremist=.

More broadly, rampant attacks on the rights to freedoms of expression and association have

continued. Governments9 repressive tactics have included arbitrary detention, torture and

unjust prosecution of critics and opponents, as well as the deployment of spyware. In some

cases, they have unlawfully killed or forcibly disappeared critics or sentenced them to death.

Among those targeted have been journalists, online commentators, political and trade union

activists, and human rights defenders 3 including campaigners for the rights of women, LGBTI

people and marginalized communities. In 2024, in countries including Belarus, China,

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Türkiye, individuals were convicted and

sentenced to prison terms on charges related to <terrorism= or <extremism=, following unfair

trials, solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association, including on

social media.

Governments should repeal laws and end practices that violate the rights to freedom of

expression and association.

DISCRIMINATION
Racial and other forms of discrimination have driven many countries9 approaches to asylum

and migration and affected the rights of marginalized groups. Meanwhile, marginalized groups

have been scapegoated and presented as a threat to political or economic stability to legitimize

further restrictions on human rights and allow those in power to strengthen control. In 2024,

there were advances and setbacks in the domains of LGBTI rights and sexual and reproductive

rights.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

Racism and other forms of oppression have continued to drive many countries9 approaches to

asylum and migration. Discriminatory policies and practices disproportionately affect racialized

groups of migrants, refugees and other non-citizens.

1 Several countries including Canada,

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have continued operating visa schemes that are shaped by racism and

û
tie migrant workers to a speci c employer, increasing the risk of labour exploitation. States and

non-state actors have also deployed and misused abusive digital technology in migration

management and asylum systems.

2

Governments around the world have taken extreme and violent measures to prevent and

push back irregular arrivals. These have included actions to shift the responsibility for refugees

and migrants to other countries, border closures and mass returns. In 2024, Egypt arbitrarily

detained hundreds of Sudanese refugees before forcibly returning them to Sudan; they were

among the more than 3.2 million Sudanese refugees living in neighbouring countries, often in

dire conditions. Pakistani authorities forcibly returned hundreds of thousands of refugees to

Afghanistan in pursuit of an unlawful deportation policy. The USA suspended the entry of

asylum seekers at the USA-Mexico border, exposing them to extortion, abduction and sexual

and gender-based violence. Belarus continued to force refugees and migrants across its

borders with the EU, resulting in some deaths in perilous conditions. Other European countries

and the EU failed to reduce dependence on third countries for migration management or

expand safe and legal routes for refugees.

Global analysis 19
Governments9 abusive responses to irregular migration have also undermined the rule of law,

as they have ignored and circumvented judicial orders upholding the rights of migrants, asylum

seekers and refugees. Greece has consistently ignored judgments from the European Court of

Human Rights (ECtHR). For example, its coastguard9s use of ûrearms during border control
operations has remained of concern despite an ECtHR ruling in 2024 that Greece had violated

the right to life during an interception at sea in 2014. In 2024, the UK sought to overturn a

2023 Supreme Court ruling that Rwanda was not a safe country as it pursued a scheme to

enable the enforced removal of asylum seekers there; the scheme was scrapped following a

change of government.

By contrast, community sponsorship groups across the world kept countering such racism

and exclusion with concrete expressions of solidarity.

Governments should adopt migration policies that effectively address inequality and

exclusion.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Racialized, ethnic, minority and other marginalized groups have continued to face systemic

discrimination and entrenched inequalities, deeply affecting their human rights.

In 2024, in a positive move, Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan won the right to use their

û
Indigenous names, rather than Mandarin language versions, in of cial documents. However,

respect for Indigenous Peoples9 rights suffered setbacks in several countries. The New Zealand

government enacted new laws that undermined the rights of M
ori. Governments in countries

including Bolivia, Indonesia and Malaysia proceeded with extractive or development projects

on land claimed by Indigenous Peoples without their free, prior and informed consent.

û
Racial pro ling and institutionalized racism in areas such as law enforcement and welfare

have persisted, highlighting the pervasive nature of these injustices. In the Americas, law

enforcement actions have targeted, or disproportionately affected, Afro-descendants in

countries including Brazil, Ecuador and the USA. In Asia, ethnic and religious minorities such

as non-Han ethnic groups in China and the Pamiri minority in Tajikistan have faced

persecution and systemic discrimination. In Europe, Norway and Switzerland have used

û
discriminatory racial pro ling, while in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden automated

welfare systems have led to discriminatory practices against racialized people, as well as

women and low-income individuals.

û
In the UK and other countries, the ampli cation by social media platforms of harmful

content played a role in racist and xenophobic violence.

Experts, activists and organizations working on the legacies of colonialism have continued to

call for governments to address their colonial past and the ongoing impact on human rights. In

August, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognized that structural racism

and racial discrimination posed barriers to the full enjoyment of the rights of Afro-descendant

people and tribal communities and called on states to implement comprehensive reparatory

justice. In November, experts from the African continent and its global diasporas called on

European governments to address their colonial past and ongoing impacts at the Dekoloniale

Berlin Africa Conference, a decolonial counter-version of the 1884-1885 Berlin Africa

Conference 140 years earlier.

3
Governments should end the racial discrimination built into laws and practices, address

the question of reparatory justice for slavery and colonialism and challenge the legacy of

these historical injustices in contemporary forms of racism and inequality.

20 Amnesty International Report

GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE

Opposition to gender equality has escalated in many contexts. Gender-based discrimination

and violence against women, girls and LGBTI people remain pervasive, particularly for those

experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. In Afghanistan, where women

and girls have continued to be subjected to gender persecution (a crime against humanity), the

Taliban imposed yet more severe restrictions in 2024, completely cutting them off from public

life and effectively limiting all aspects of their life. In Argentina, a femicide was reported every

û
33 hours in 2024. In Iran, authorities intensi ed their brutal crackdown on women and girls

û
who de ed compulsory veiling.

Despite setbacks, some progress on LGBTI rights occurred in 2024. Thailand became the

ûrst country in South-East Asia to achieve marriage equality for LGBTI people, while a ban on
same-sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional in Japan. Same-sex marriage was legalized in

Greece and the Czech Republic. Courts in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan made advances in

û
recognizing the rights of transgender people with regard to gender-af rming practices. In

Namibia, the High Court struck down legislation outlawing consensual same-sex sexual

conduct, although the government then appealed the decision.

At the same time, the backlash against LGBTI rights continued through the proliferation of

discrimination and repressive laws driven by anti-rights and anti-gender movements.

4 In

Ghana, Malawi, Mali and Uganda, legislative or judicial authorities took steps to, respectively,

criminalize or uphold bans on consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults. Georgia

adopted legislation on <family values and the protection of minors= that contained numerous

homophobic and transphobic measures, seemingly following much of the blueprint Russian

<gay propaganda= law. Bulgaria banned <LGBTI propaganda= in schools. Violence and denial

of human rights protections severely affected transgender people globally.

In 2024, several countries introduced policies that increased access to sexual and

reproductive health services. In Europe, France became the ûrst country in the world to
explicitly include abortion as a guaranteed freedom in its constitution, while several other

countries backed measures to protect patients and healthcare providers from harassment

outside abortion clinics. However, other countries, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile,

Puerto Rico and Russia, introduced policies in law or practice that reduced access to sexual

and reproductive health services. Meanwhile, social media companies like Meta and TikTok

removed information about abortion online.

Barriers in accessing abortion care persisted in many countries and those defending

abortion rights remained under attack. Activists, advocates, healthcare workers and others

were exposed to stigmatization and threats and were criminalized through unjust prosecutions,

investigations and arrests.

Governments must end gender-based discrimination and violence, repeal repressive laws

and ensure access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and

services, including safe abortion.

ECONOMIC AND CLIMATE INJUSTICE

Governments have failed to demonstrate the ambition needed to address the ever-increasing

ü
human rights costs of climate change. Meanwhile, high levels of in ation, debt repayment and

tax abuse have undermined economic and social rights in countries at all levels of income, but

particularly the lowest. In addition, in the context of the transition to renewable energy, demand

û
for so-called <critical minerals= has increased signi cantly, posing new human rights risks.

Global analysis 21
RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Governments have utterly failed to meet their obligations to protect human rights within and

beyond their borders in the face of accelerating climate change. The UN Environment

Programme has reported that the world is on track to reach roughly 3 degrees Celsius of

warming above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. In May 2024, it was reported

that the average temperature for the previous 12 months had been more than 1.5 degrees

above pre-industrial levels.

5
2024 showed that, even at current levels of warming, the human rights costs of climate

change are unacceptably high. Climate change has made more severe and more likely

û
unnatural disasters like hurricanes, cyclones, wild res and heavy rainfall, leading to increased

death, forced displacement, famine and other human rights harms. Flooding in Bangladesh

and India displaced hundreds of thousands in 2024. Climate change drove more people from

their homes in Africa, adding to the millions already forcibly displaced there.
6

Some governments have chosen to grow their economies through investment in economic

sectors and projects that harm human rights, including the right to a healthy environment.

Such investments are often poorly regulated and encourage corporate actors to maximize their

û
pro ts irrespective of the <collateral= damage to human rights. For example, governments have

û
provided signi cant direct and indirect taxpayer-funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry,

û
despite its responsibility for signi cant human rights harms all over the world; in unproven

solutions to the climate crisis that may entail human rights abuses in their implementation,

such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production; and in large-scale tourism

û
projects. In some cases, these projects have entailed forced evictions, signi cant pollution and

other human rights harms.

The countries that have generated the most carbon emissions have only contributed paltry

amounts of climate ûnance for adaptation in the lower-income countries that are on the front
lines of climate harm. Climate adaptation can help to minimize death and other human rights

harms, through the implementation of robust early warning systems, resilient health systems

and emergency response infrastructure. Some ûnancing has relied on loans that further indebt
low-income countries.

Activists and communities have demanded climate justice. Some have used domestic or

international judicial mechanisms to force governments to commit to a faster phase-out of fossil

fuels, though governments have not always implemented resulting judgments. Three decisions

û
issued by the ECtHR in April 2024 clari ed states9 human rights obligations in the context of

the climate crisis.

7 One ruled that Switzerland had failed to comply with its obligations to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the Swiss parliament voted to reject it. Meanwhile, the

International Court of Justice began hearings for an advisory opinion on climate change that

û
was initiated by student-led efforts on the Paci c island nation of Vanuatu.

All governments should implement a fast, fair and funded phase-out of fossil fuels and

stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. Historic emitting countries and other countries in a

position to do so should provide grant funding for climate adaptation in lower-income

countries most harmed by climate change.8

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

ü
Worsening climate change has been set against a backdrop of global con icts, high in ation ü
and debt repayment, poor corporate regulation and pervasive tax abuse.
9 In 2024, lower-

û
income countries9 debt payments hit their highest levels in 30 years, dwar ng budgets for

health and education in many countries. Unfair tax systems and the failure to rein in corporate

and individual tax avoidance and evasion have further deprived governments of much needed

revenues for rights realization. As a result, extreme poverty and inequality have continued to

ü
deepen. Poverty and con ict, combined with climate change-related drought and other

unnatural disasters, have meant that hundreds of millions have experienced severe food

22 Amnesty International Report

insecurity. In 2024, famines were declared in Gaza, Haiti and Sudan. Globally, humanitarian

responses provided less than half the funding required to meet immediate needs.

Challenging this situation, activists and communities have protested and engaged in civil

disobedience to express cost-of-living concerns, even in the face of increasing criminalization

of protests. In addition, 2024 saw the adoption of the terms of reference for drafting a UN

Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. This convention has the potential to

lay the groundwork for a more equitable global tax system that prevents the abuse that

undercuts government capacity to invest in the rights to health, education and social security.

An overwhelming 110 countries voted in favour, with only eight voting against and 44

abstentions.

Governments should move quickly to draft, adopt and implement the UN tax convention,

and take steps to prevent tax abuse in the interim.

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY

ü
Efforts by corporate actors to in uence law and policy, poor government regulation of corporate

actors and company failures to meet their human rights responsibilities have enabled a vast

range of rights violations, such as companies polluting the drinking water, ûshing grounds,
farmland and air of nearby communities and trampling the rights to information and consent.

In the context of the transition to renewable energy, demand for so-called <critical minerals=

û
has increased signi cantly, posing new human rights risks. Leading electric vehicle makers

have not demonstrated that they are meeting international human rights standards or even

putting their own policies into action.

10
However, there has been some progress. Most notably, the EU introduced a new corporate

accountability regulation in 2024 that requires large corporations to respect new rules on

human rights, environmental impacts and climate. While the Corporate Sustainability Due

û
Diligence Directive faces major challenges, it remains the world9s most signi cant attempt yet

to introduce mandatory human rights due diligence rules in line with the UN Guiding Principles

on Business and Human Rights.

The EU should reject efforts to weaken the human rights, environmental and climate
protections in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and other regional blocs

should follow suit with their own due diligence laws.

TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The elections in the USA in 2024 highlighted the immense power of Big Tech companies over

technological deployments and regulatory discussions, as well as their ability to facilitate

violations of the rights of migrants, LGBTI people and others, and ultimately underscored the

urgent need for binding human rights technology regulation around the world. Without

adequate regulation, governments have increasingly abused spyware and other surveillance

tools, and have entrenched inequalities by relying on new AI technologies in public sector

settings. Meanwhile, social media companies have continued to enable the spread of hateful

and violent content.

ABUSE OF TECHNOLOGY

Facial recognition technologies have had a chilling effect on the right to protest in many regions

of the world. In some countries, the police have monitored peaceful protesters with highly

advanced cameras on drones and video surveillance cars. This practice violates the right to

privacy, has a chilling effect on the right to peaceful assembly and may have discriminatory

effects.

Global analysis 23
There has been widespread use of spyware technologies in an increasing number of countries

across the world. New digital security threats such as the abuse of online ad tracking, the

process of gathering data on how internet users interact with adverts, have emerged.

Meanwhile, lack of transparency and regulation has continued to obscure the murky trade in

surveillance technology such as spyware. In 2024, evidence was exposed of sales and

deployment of highly invasive spyware and surveillance products to companies and state

agencies in Indonesia, while mainland Chinese and Hong Kong students studying abroad

continued to be subjected to surveillance while using Chinese and other apps and digital

platforms. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence, sometimes facilitated through

surveillance, posed a growing threat to women and LGBTI activists in countries including

Thailand and Uganda.

Civil society activists, including Amnesty International, as well as some states, have sought

accountability for spyware-related abuses. In 2024, litigation against spyware ûrm NSO Group
continued in countries including Thailand and the USA, despite efforts by Israel to undermine

this. However, at the multilateral level, efforts to address spyware have tended to focus on

voluntary codes of conduct. For instance, in 2024, France and the UK launched the Pall Mall

Process to bring together states, the private sector and civil society to address issues around

commercial cyber intrusion. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has continued to create and

make available new tools for activists to protect themselves.

11

Governments should prohibit unlawful surveillance and unlawful surveillance tools and

put in place robust safeguards to protect against abuses and provide remedy to victims.

INADEQUATE REGULATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Governments have stepped back from commitments to regulate new technologies, partly

ü
triggered by changes in the US administration and heavily in uenced by industry interests.

States have increasingly integrated AI technologies into public sector functions and enabled the

development and expansion of AI-powered systems in welfare, policing, migration and military

û û
contexts. Often these technologies are deployed under justi cations of government ef ciency,

cost savings or other austerity measures but, in reality, compound existing discrimination,

reinforce gender inequalities and entrench racial, socio-economic systems of power.

12

States9 continued reliance on automated tools in the provision and supervision of social

protection has led to discriminatory and unfair outcomes.

13 These harms are in part caused by

the üawed implementation of new but increasingly common techniques such as <entity
resolution=, by which states, such as India, identify and link personal records across different

databases.
14

Regulation of AI has been held back globally by narratives that position the USA and China

as competitors in an arms race and thus promote rapid unchecked AI development both for

national security reasons, and under a false dichotomy between regulation and innovation.

Governments should do more to regulate AI technologies and companies that produce

them, ensuring that human rights are integral to the design and deployment of new

technologies.

BUSINESS MODEL OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES

Social media companies operating with unchecked power have rolled back protections aimed

at preventing harms to the most marginalized and at risk. They have also continued to operate

a business model that systemically prioritizes engagement over everything else, therefore

enabling the spread of hateful and violent content. This has kept young people in particular

hooked on their platforms, despite harmful knock-on effects. In 2024, globally, youth activists

faced threats and harassment online.

15 In the Philippines, Amnesty International documented

state-backed <red-tagging= attacks that targeted youth activists for their activism.

24 Amnesty International Report

The EU set a mixed precedent on tech regulation. Its landmark Digital Services Act, which fully

came into force in February 2024, placed obligations on online platforms and search engines

to ensure respect for human rights.

16 The European Commission then decided to investigate

TikTok over the possibility that it had breached the regulation for failing to protect young

users.
17 The EU9s AI Act, which entered into force in August 2024, set limits to some of the

most rights-violating uses of AI, although it failed to put people and their rights at its centre.
18

In other positive news, in Ethiopia, victims of human rights abuses continued to make

progress in their efforts to hold Facebook to account, in courts accessible to them, for the

harms that Facebook had caused or contributed to. However, elsewhere, proposed legislation

to address the harms of social media was often overly broad or sought to limit children9s and

young people9s access to social media without addressing the underlying issues of the social

business companies9 model or adequately considering the opinions of children and young

people.

Governments should adequately regulate social media companies to protect human

rights. The companies themselves should move away from their unlawful, surveillance-

based business model.

1. Obligations of State Parties on Addressing and Eradicating Xenophobia and Its Impact on the Rights of Migrants, Their Families, and Other

Non-Citizens Affected by Racial Discrimination, 4 April ±

2. Primer: Defending the Rights of Refugees and Migrants in the Digital Age, 5 February ; The Digital Border: Migration, Technology and

Inequality, 21 May ±

3. <Global: Africans and people of African descent call on Europe to reckon with their colonial legacies=, 18 November ±

4. We Are Facing Extinction: Escalating Anti-LGBTI Sentiment, the Weaponization of Law and Their Human Rights Implications -in Select

African Countries, 9 January ±

5. <Global: Record-breaking 12-month run of global heat underlines urgency of action to deliver climate justice=, 5 June ±

6. <Africa: Richer countries must commit to pay at COP29 as climate change forcibly displaces millions across Africa=, 4 November ±

7. Climate Inaction, Ruled Out! European Court Clarifies State Obligations to Tackle the Climate Crisis, 21 August ±

8. Amnesty International Recommendations to Parties to the UNFCCC on Human Rights Consistent Climate Action in 2024, 23 October ±

9. What9s Tax Got to Do with It: A Resource Guide on Tax and Human Rights, 17 September ±

10. Recharge for Rights: Ranking the Human Rights Due Diligence Reporting of Leading Electric Vehicle Makers, 15 October ±

11. <Amnesty International9s Security Lab unveils new tools to support civil society against digital threats=, 5 June ±

12. Briefing: Gender and Human Rights in the Digital Age, 10 July ±

13. Briefing: Social protection in the Digital Age, 6 March ±

14. Use of Entity Resolution in India: Shining a Light on How New Forms of Automation Can Deny People Access to Welfare, 30 April ±

15. <Three out five young activists face online harassment globally for posting human rights content=, 1 July ±

16. <EU: Landmark Digital Services Act must be robustly enforced to protect human rights=, 17 February ±

17. <EU/Global: European Commission9s TikTok probe aims to help protect young users=, 19 February ±

18. <Statement: EU takes modest step as AI law comes into effect=, 1 August ±

Global analysis 25
AFRICA REGIONAL OVERVIEW

ü
While Africa9s armed con icts caused relentless civilian suffering, including increasing

levels of sexual and gender-based violence, and death on a massive scale, international and

regional responses remained woefully inadequate, with civilians feeling forgotten.

The cost-of-living crisis deepened as prices of food, fuel and other basic necessities
spiralled. High taxation levels, unsustainable public debts, widespread and unchecked

ü
corruption, escalating con icts and extreme weather events exacerbated the crisis.

Protesting meant putting one9s life in danger. Demonstrations were too often brutally and

lethally dispersed and attacks on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly

and association remained rampant. Repressive tactics used by governments included

enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests and detentions of opponents, human rights

defenders, activists, journalists and their critics.

ü
Con ict and climate-induced shocks remained the main drivers of forced displacement,
and Sudan continued to suffer the largest displacement crisis worldwide. The number of

ü
refugees from con ict zones continued to soar; many refugees lived in squalid conditions or

in fear of forced return.

Discrimination and gender-based violence 3 fuelled by societal norms 3 remained a daily

reality for women and girls.

High income countries with primary responsibility for causing climate change failed to

make adequate funding available for loss and damage and for adaptation measures.
Consequently, communities continued to bear the brunt of protracted droughts, recurrent

üoods and extreme storms and heat which were likely exacerbated by climate change.
A culture of impunity continued to embolden perpetrators of crimes under international

law and other serious or gross human rights violations.

UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

Unlawful attacks and killings by government forces and armed groups were reported across the

region, including in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia,

South Sudan and Sudan.

Operations by government forces often left a trail of civilian death. In Burkina Faso, the

military reportedly killed at least 223 civilians, including at least 56 children, in the villages of

Soro and Nodin in February. Hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed in May by the military

and its proxy forces during a supply operation against besieged towns in the east. In Ethiopia,

following armed clashes in January between government forces and militias in Merawi town,

Amhara region, government forces rounded up scores of civilian men from their homes, shops

and the streets and executed them.

In several conüicts, airstrikes or drone attacks by government forces resulted in civilian

casualties. In Mali, army drone strikes killed at least 27 civilians, including 18 children in

March, and eight civilians, including six children, in October. In Niger, an army drone strike in

January reportedly killed around 50 civilians in the village of Tiawa, Tillabéri region. In Nigeria,

military air strikes in Kaduna state killed 23 people in a village, including worshippers at a

mosque and shoppers at a market. In Somalia, two strikes in March by Turkish-made drones,

supporting Somali military operations, killed 23 civilians, including 14 children, in the lower

Shabelle region.

26 Amnesty International Report

Armed groups were responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against civilians. In Burkina

Faso, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) reportedly killed around 200

people, including civilians, in Barsalogho in August. In the DRC, most civilian killings occurred

when armed groups, including the March 23 Movement, the Cooperative for Development of

the Congo and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), battled with government forces in the east

and west. In June the ADF killed more than 200 civilians in two separate attacks. In Somalia,

the UN Assistance Mission reported that Al-Shabaab was responsible for 65% of the 854

civilian casualties recorded in the country between January and September. In Sudan, the

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued its attacks on civilians, some of which were ethnically

motivated. In October the RSF launched retaliatory attacks on towns and villages in eastern

Gezira state, after one of its commanders defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces, killing at

least 124 civilians in seven days according to the UN.

Armed groups frequently targeted places of worship, schools, hospitals and other civilian

objects. In Burkina Faso, an armed group killed 15 worshippers at a Catholic church in

Essakane, Sahel region on 25 February. On the same day, another armed GSIM group killed at

least 14 worshippers at a mosque in Natiaboani, Est region. In August, GSIM killed 26 civilians

at a church in Kounla, Boucle du Mouhoun region. In February, armed groups in Mozambique

burned down three churches and two schools and set ûre to a hospital in the Chiúre district.

ü
Parties to armed con icts must respect international humanitarian law, including by

protecting civilians and religious and educational institutions and other cultural property,

and ending targeted and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

CONFLICT-RELATED SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

There was an alarming surge in cases of conüict-related sexual violence. In CAR, more than

11,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported in the ûrst half of the year. In the DRC,

the number of reported cases doubled in the ûrst quarter of 2024, in comparison to the same

period in 2023. In Sudan, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the

Sudan found that RSF members perpetrated widespread sexual violence during attacks on

cities in the Darfur region and in Greater Khartoum. They frequently raped and gang-raped

women and girls in front of their family members, particularly in the Darfur region and in Gezira

state. Conüict-related sexual violence was also prevalent in Somalia and South Sudan. In one

incident in Somalia, two members of the Somali National Army allegedly raped two sisters aged

15 and 16 years.

ü
Parties to armed con icts should issue clear orders to their members or forces,

prohibiting acts of sexual and gender-based violence.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

RIGHT TO FOOD

Large proportions of the region9s population continued to face hunger. In the Southern Africa

region, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe were affected by

the worst El Niño-induced drought in a century, and some of which responded by declaring a

state of emergency. The drought destroyed crops and livestock, threatening food security for

millions. In August the Southern African Development Community announced that 17% of the

population of the Southern Africa region (68 million people) needed aid.

Severe food insecurity was experienced in other parts of Africa, including in CAR, Somalia

and South Sudan. In CAR, more than 2.5 million people were affected, with more than 50% of

the population in Mbomou, Haute-Kotto and other regions living in a situation of emergency or

crisis food insecurity. In Somalia, at least 4 million people faced crisis or emergency food

insecurity, and an estimated 1.6 million children aged between six and 59 months faced acute

Africa regional overview 27

malnutrition. In South Sudan, approximately 7.1 million people (56.3%) were projected to face

crisis-level or more severe food insecurity during the year, and more than 2.5 million children

and women experienced acute malnutrition.

RIGHT TO EDUCATION

While the AU committed to build resilient education systems, conüict and insecurity kept

millions of children out of school. In violation of the Safe Schools Declaration (an

intergovernmental agreement for the protection of education in armed conüict), hundreds of

schools in conüict zones were destroyed in attacks or became shelters for the displaced. In

Sudan, more than 17 million children remained out of school, with Save the Children reporting

in May that attacks on schools had increased fourfold since the start of the conüict in April

2023. In West and Central Africa, UNICEF reported that more than 14,000 schools were closed

due to conüict as of September, affecting 2.8 million children. In Burkina Faso, conüict forced

the closure of 5,319 schools as of March, affecting nearly one million children.

RIGHT TO HEALTH

Governments continued to fail to uphold their pledges made in the Abuja Declaration over two

decades earlier to allocate 15% of their national budgets to healthcare. With governments

spending on average only 7.4% of national budgets on healthcare, public health systems

struggled to deliver quality services. Meanwhile, healthcare costs remained high, while the

WHO warned in December that governments9 heavy reliance on people to pay for their own

healthcare was pushing more than 150 million people into poverty across the region. In Kenya,

a new national health insurance system created difûculties in accessing healthcare for many

patients. On a positive note, Ghana expanded its malaria vaccine roll-out while the Niger

government announced a 50% reduction in patients9 fees for medical treatment, laboratory

tests, imaging and medical and surgical procedures, and abolished fees for childbirth and

dialysis in public hospitals.

An Mpox outbreak affecting countries including Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, the DRC

and South Africa, caused alarm throughout the region. By 30 July, 14,250 Mpox cases and

456 deaths were reported in 10 countries, representing an increase of 160% and 19%

respectively, in comparison to the same period in 2023. The DRC accounted for over 96% of

all cases and deaths reported. In August the WHO declared the region9s Mpox outbreak <a

public health emergency of international concern=.

FORCED EVICTIONS

Thousands of people were left homeless and destitute after governments carried out forced

evictions in several countries, including Congo, Côte d9Ivoire and Kenya. In Congo, residents of

Mpili, Kouilou department, were forcibly relocated to make way for potash extraction by a

Chinese company. In Kenya, the government demolished the homes of at least 6,000

households in the Mathare and Mukuru Kwa Njenga settlements of Nairobi amid heavy rainfall

and üooding.

Governments must immediately act to address socio-economic hardships, including by

taking swift action to prevent hunger, and addressing the underlying causes of food
insecurity; endorsing and implementing the Safe Schools Declaration and ensuring access

ü
to education for children in con ict zones; prioritizing public spending on healthcare in line

with the Abuja Declaration; ending forced evictions and adopting moratoriums on mass

evictions pending the establishment of adequate legal and procedural safeguards for those

threatened with eviction.

28 Amnesty International Report

REPRESSION OF DISSENT
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

Excessive use of force by security forces was common. Police killings and mass arrests of

protesters were documented in countries including Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and

Senegal. In Guinea, a 17-year-old protester was shot dead in February during a trade union

strike. In March, two boys aged eight and 14 were shot dead when a power cut in the city of

Kindia sparked protests. In Senegal, security forces killed four people, including a 16-year-old

boy, during protests in February objecting to delayed presidential elections. In Kenya, the

national human rights institution documented 60 deaths in June and July during anti-Finance

Bill protests. More than 600 protesters were arrested between June and August. Following

Mozambique9s disputed October elections, security forces unleashed the worst crackdown on

protests in years. At least 277 people died, including children and bystanders. In Nigeria, at

least 24 people were killed during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August while more than

1,000 were detained.

Brutal repression of protests by security forces was also reported in Angola, Benin,

Botswana, Côte d9Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Uganda. In other countries, including Chad,

Tanzania, Togo and Zambia, authorities banned protests. In Tanzania, more than 500 people

afûliated to the opposition Chadema party were arrested in August for allegedly violating a ban

on a youth conference. In September the police announced a ban on all Chadema protests. In

Togo, demonstrations and meetings planned by opposition political parties and civil society to

discuss proposed constitutional changes were routinely banned.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Governments targeted critics with intimidation, arrest and judicial harassment. In Cameroon,

the minister of territorial administration banned in October <any media debate on the state of

the President= following rumours about President Biya9s health. In Eswatini, authorities

continued to use a 2008 anti-terrorism law to target government critics. In Madagascar,

authorities used Predator spyware to monitor political opposition members. In Senegal,

politician Ahmed Suzanne Camara was arrested and charged in July with <offending the head

of state= after he called the president and the prime minister liars. Another politician, Cheikhna

Keita, was arrested in September after speaking on TV about tensions between the president

and the prime minister.

In Uganda, eight musicians were arrested by military ofûcials in April when they were

overheard during a public event complaining about a speech by President Museveni. Also in

April, a court barred social media activist Ibrahim Musana from mentioning on social media the

names of several government ofûcials, including President Museveni, pending the

determination of a case against him on charges including promoting hate speech. In July a

court sentenced Edward Awebwa to six years9 imprisonment for sharing videos mocking the

president. In Zambia, authorities ûled üimsy charges against several critics for exposing

allegations of corruption or criticizing government ofûcials. For example, Raphael Nakacinda,

secretary general of the opposition Patriotic Front party, was sentenced to 18 months9

imprisonment for <defaming the president= under a law that was repealed in 2021.

Several governments sought to introduce new restrictions on the right to freedom of

expression. In Equatorial Guinea, parliament began debating in March a cybercrime bill that

would introduce new restrictions on social media use. In Gambia and Lesotho, there were fears

that cybercrime bills before the respective parliaments would lead to abuses of and restrictions

on the right to freedom of expression if passed without amendments. In Niger, authorities

reinstated jail sentences for defamation and related offences, reversing progress previously

made on the right to freedom of expression.

Africa regional overview 29

Governments ignored a call by the African Commission on Human and Peoples9 Rights

(ACHPR) in March to refrain from interrupting telecommunication and internet services and/or

blocking access to digital platforms. Such practices were reported in countries including

Comoros, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal and Sudan. In

Sudan, a near-total telecommunication blackout in February posed serious risks to the

coordination of emergency assistance and humanitarian services to millions of people caught

up in conüict.

MEDIA FREEDOM

Crackdowns against journalists fostered a climate of fear leading to self-censorship. Journalists

were threatened, physically assaulted and/or arbitrarily arrested in Angola, Chad, Guinea,

Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe and other countries. As of 10 December,

eight journalists had been killed in Africa, ûve of them in Sudan, according to the International

Federation of Journalists. Chadian journalist Idriss Yaya was murdered, together with his wife

and four-year-old son, in March after receiving threats, likely linked to his reporting of

escalating communal conüicts in the Mongo region.

More than two decades after Eritrea9s free press was dismantled, there remained no form of

registered, privately owned media. In Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, Togo and

elsewhere, authorities suspended or threatened to suspend the operations of media houses

and newspapers. In Burkina Faso, authorities suspended the broadcasters TV5 Monde, BBC

and Voice of America, as well as access to the websites of nine Burkinabe media organizations,

for two weeks in retaliation for their reporting on the Nodin and Soro massacres. In Guinea, the

government ordered the revocation of operating licences for several radio and TV stations for

alleged <non-compliance with content speciûcations=. In Tanzania, regulatory authorities

suspended for 30 days the digital platforms of The Citizen, claiming that the platforms had

published material that disrupted <national unity and social peace= in connection with a video

about missing or murdered people. In Togo, authorities suspended the accreditations of all

foreign journalists for the coverage of the April elections.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION

Civil society organizations9 ability to organize and freely conduct their activities were curtailed.

In Côte d9Ivoire, the government adopted an ordinance regulating such organizations9 activities,

sparking fears that it would be used to interfere in their ûnances and control their activities. The

Ethiopian authorities arbitrarily suspended the licences of ûve national human rights

organizations and four of the suspensions were still in place at the end of the year. In Guinea,

the government suspended the renewal of NGOs9 operating licences for four months pending

an assessment of their activities. In Rwanda, a new law imposed restrictions on budgeting and

management decisions of national NGOs.

In Uganda, an amendment to the NGO law paved the way for the dissolution of the semi-

autonomous NGO Bureau and its re-establishment as a department within the Ministry of

Internal Affairs, signalling a move towards centralized decision-making, control and increased

government oversight of NGO affairs. In Zimbabwe, the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO)

Amendment Bill 2024 3 pending before the Senate at the year9s end 3 contained provisions

that could be used to restrict civic space and threaten the existence, independence and

operations of civil society organizations.

Governments must ensure law enforcement agencies comply with international human

rights law and standards, including on the use of force; end all forms of harassment against

those exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; and create a

safe and enabling environment for civil society organizations to function.

30 Amnesty International Report

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS AND ENFORCED

DISAPPEARANCES
Arbitrary arrests and detentions of opposition activists and human rights defenders were

witnessed in many countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad,

Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and

Zimbabwe. In Angola, the health of detained activists Adolfo Campos and Gildo das Ruas

deteriorated drastically when they were denied medical care. In Chad, following the killing of

opposition leader Yaya Dillo in February during an assault by security forces on his party

headquarters, 25 of his relatives were arrested, most of whom were detained in a high-security

prison without access to legal representation or medical care. In July, 14 were sentenced to 10

years9 imprisonment and 10 others acquitted, while one remained in detention without charge.

However, in November and December, they were all released without explanation. In Mali, the

gendarmerie arrested 11 politicians in June for holding a meeting in Bamako, the capital.

Accused of <disturbing public order and plotting against the state=, they were released in

December.

Elsewhere in the region, authorities increasingly used mass arrests, rounding up hundreds of

people. In Congo, 580 people were arrested in May and June after Brazzaville authorities

launched Opération Coup de Poing to combat crime. In Ethiopia, hundreds of people were

arrested nationwide on the pretext of enforcing a state of emergency. In the Amhara region, the

federal army and security forces launched a new mass arrest campaign in September,

detaining thousands of people in four days. In Mozambique, hundreds were arrested ahead of

the October general elections for their support or membership of the opposition Optimist Party

for the Development of Mozambique. Thousands more were arrested in the post-election

period. In Zimbabwe, authorities intensiûed their crackdown on peaceful dissent, arresting

more than 160 people, including opposition members, union leaders, students and journalists,

ahead of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development

Community held on 17 August in Harare, the capital. Earlier, in June, police had arrested 78

people during a raid on a private gathering at the home of Jameson Timba, party leader of the

opposition Citizens Coalition for Change.

Enforced disappearances remained pervasive, including in Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi,

Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. In Kenya, the Law Society reported that at

least 72 people were forcibly disappeared in connection with the anti-Finance Bill protests. In

Guinea, Omar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah, members of the National Front for the Defence of

the Constitution, arrested in July, and journalist Habib Marouane Camara, arrested in early

December, remained forcibly disappeared at the year9s end.

Governments must end the use of arbitrary arrests and detentions, and enforced

disappearances of human rights defenders, activists, journalists, opponents and government

critics; immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully

exercising their human rights; and disclose the fate and whereabouts of anyone subjected to

enforced disappearance.

RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE, REFUGEES AND

MIGRANTS
With more than 11 million internally displaced people, of whom 8.6 million had been displaced

since April 2023, Sudan suffered the largest displacement crisis in the world. Other countries

with staggering numbers of internally displaced people included the DRC (7.3 million), Burkina

Faso (2 million), South Sudan (2 million), Somalia (552,000), CAR (455,533) and Mali

(331,000). Living conditions in internally displaced people9s camps remained deplorable, with

Africa regional overview 31

continuous attacks by armed groups exacerbating the situation. In August, the UN declared

famine conditions in Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in Sudan9s North Darfur

region.

The number of refugees from conüict zones continued to soar. Sudanese refugees in

neighbouring countries exceeded 3.2 million. They lived in dire conditions, including in Egypt

where hundreds were arbitrarily detained pending their forced return to Sudan. Between

January and March, Egyptian authorities forcibly returned an estimated 800 Sudanese

nationals.

More than 20,000 migrants from various countries were expelled from Algeria to Assamaka,

a town in Niger9s Agadez region, between January and August. In May, several people died of

apparent exhaustion en route to or on arrival in Assamaka.

Governments must end the arbitrary detention of refugees and migrants on the basis of

their migration status and protect them from forced returns and mass expulsions.

DISCRIMINATION AND MARGINALIZATION

The rape and murder of seven-year-old Heaven Awot in Ethiopia and the death of three girls

after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone became emblematic of the

prevalence of sexual violence against women and girls across the region. However, positive

developments were recorded in several countries. In Côte d9Ivoire, the National Assembly

adopted an amendment to the Criminal Code to allow abortion in cases of incest. Equatorial

Guinea9s government adopted a declaration outlining measures to address gender disparities

and promote women9s empowerment. Gambia9s parliament rejected a bill to overturn the ban

on FGM. Sierra Leone enacted a law banning early and child marriage. In South Africa, the

High Court in Pretoria declared sections of a law dealing with sexual offences unconstitutional

for providing a subjective test for criminal intent where sexual violence is not criminalized if a

perpetrator wrongly and unreasonably believed that the complainant consented.

As activists marked the 10th anniversary of the ACHPR resolution 275 on protection from

violence of LGBTI people, authorities continued to weaponize legal systems to target and

discriminate against them. In Mali a new Criminal Code was adopted under which consensual

same-sex sexual conduct was punishable by imprisonment and a ûne. In Burkina Faso, a draft

family code threatened to criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations. Ghana9s

parliament passed a bill which further criminalized LGBTI people. In Malawi and Uganda,

courts ruled to uphold bans on consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults. In

Eswatini, the government continued its refusal to register an LGBTI organization. In contrast,

positive developments elsewhere included the introduction in Botswana of a constitutional

amendment bill that could protect intersex people from discrimination. The Namibian High

Court struck down legislation outlawing consensual same-sex sexual conduct.

Governments must combat all forms of discrimination and gender-based violence against
women and girls, including by addressing the root causes, and increasing efforts to

eliminate harmful practices. Governments must repeal anti-LGBTI laws and refrain from

efforts to criminalize consensual same-sexual conduct.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

High income countries with primary responsibility for causing climate change failed to make

adequate funding available for loss and damage and for adaptation measures. Consequently,

millions of people endured drought while thousands were affected by torrential rain and üoods.

Deaths from üooding were reported in countries including Cameroon, Côte d9Ivoire,

Madagascar, Mali and Niger. In Niger and Mali, at least 339 and 177 people died in üoods,

32 Amnesty International Report

respectively. In Madagascar, Cyclone Gamane resulted in 18 deaths, displaced 20,737 people

and damaged vital infrastructure including roads and bridges.

The securing by several governments of funding to address the climate change crisis came

at the cost of increasing debt burdens. Côte d9Ivoire secured USD 1.3 billion to improve its

climate resilience and transition to renewable energy. Namibia secured USD 10 billion to

develop so-called <green hydrogen=. Meanwhile, the South African government announced the

establishment of a climate change fund to respond to the impacts of climate change and build

resilience. In Madagascar, the government committed to a 28% reduction in greenhouse

emissions by 2030. Other developments included the Congolese government9s suspension of

operations at the Metssa Congo recycling company in Vindoulou, Pointe-Noire department, due

to potential risks to the health of the surrounding populations and environment. Senegalese

authorities suspended until mid-2027 all mining activities along the Falémé river because of

health and environmental concerns relating to the use of chemicals during mining.

Governments must take immediate measures to protect against the effects of climate
change and strengthen their preparedness for extreme weather events, including by seeking

international assistance and climate ûnance from higher income countries, especially those
most responsible for climate change.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION

Impunity remained entrenched in many countries. In Eswatini, the government failed to

investigate extrajudicial killings carried out between 2021 and 2024, including the killing of

human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko in 2023. In Ethiopia, the government continued to

dismiss crimes documented by human rights bodies while its <transitional justice= initiative,

limited to reconciliation, remained largely a paper exercise. In Senegal, an amnesty law passed

in March halted prosecutions for the killings of 65 protesters and bystanders between March

2021 and February 2024.

However, measures to promote justice and accountability for crimes under international law

were recorded in several countries. In CAR, the UN-backed Special Criminal Court arrested two

suspects and issued an international arrest warrant for former president François Bozizé for

alleged crimes against humanity linked to actions by his presidential guard between 2009 and

2013. Gambia9s National Assembly passed laws in April to establish the Special Accountability

Mechanism and the Special Prosecutor9s Ofûce. In December, ECOWAS agreed to establish the

Special Tribunal for the Gambia, demonstrating progress towards accountability for crimes

committed under former president Yahya Jammeh. In South Sudan, laws to establish truth and

reparations commissions were enacted, but the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South

Sudan remained stalled.

In a few cases, prosecutions of suspected perpetrators resulted in convictions. In Guinea,

the Dixinn Criminal Court convicted eight people, including former president Moussa Dadis

Camara, for crimes against humanity in connection with the September 2009 stadium

massacre. The ICC sentenced Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz to 10 years9 imprisonment for crimes

against humanity and war crimes committed in Mali between May 2012 and January 2023.

Governments must strengthen measures to prevent and combat impunity by undertaking

prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, effective and transparent investigations into

crimes under international law and other serious or grave human rights violations and

abuses, bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and ensuring victims9 access to an

effective remedy.

Africa regional overview 33

AMERICAS REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Human rights defenders in the Americas were stigmatized, harassed and attacked,

including through arbitrary detention, defamatory campaigns, enforced disappearances,

forced displacements, illegal surveillance, killings, threats, torture and unfair trials.

Freedom of expression was at risk due to attacks on and harassment of the press,
including the killing of journalists and unlawful surveillance of the population. Restrictive

regulations and repression by law enforcement posed obstacles to the right to protest.

States failed to investigate and redress gross human rights violations and crimes under

international law, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions. There

were some limited developments in accountability for political repression and crimes

committed in the past. The Inter-American human rights system continued to be a key

player in the region9s efforts to achieve truth, justice and reparation.

Unfair trials and arbitrary and mass detentions continued to be a daily occurrence as a
form of repression or as part of public security strategies. In some countries, unfair trials

were held before tribunals and courts lacking independence.

Anti-Black racism and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples continued to be

prevalent in the region. Discrimination against LGBTI people was recorded throughout the

region. Violence severely affected transgender people.

States failed to take the necessary actions to minimize the human rights impacts of the

û
climate crisis. Wild res, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and üoods affected communities
in several countries.

û
States did not ful l their obligations to guarantee economic and social rights, which

particularly affected groups that suffer discrimination. Poverty and inequality were prevalent

in the region. Health services were inadequate and underfunded, and food insecurity

affected millions.

Gender-based violence, including femicide and sexual violence, continued unabated and

unpunished throughout the region. Access to abortion was hindered in law and practice,
mainly affecting people facing multiple forms of discrimination. Several countries

introduced policies in law or practice that reduced access to reproductive health services.

Indigenous Peoples continued to be subjected to violence, discrimination and

marginalization, and several states denied them their right to free, prior and informed

consent. Abuses by state and non-state actors were often linked to land tenure, titling

issues and extractive industries.

Thousands of people continued to leave their countries and move across the region
seeking international protection, due to persecution, human rights violations, insecurity and

the adverse effects of climate change. Many migrants, refugees and asylum seekers faced

violence, xenophobia and racism, and legal and bureaucratic obstacles to exercising their

rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

The Americas continued to be dangerous for human rights defenders, with violations including

arbitrary detention, defamatory campaigns, enforced disappearances, forced displacements,

illegal surveillance, killings, threats, torture and unfair trials. Across the region, the most

vulnerable human rights defenders belonged to particular groups, such as women, Afro-

descendants, Indigenous persons and LGBTI people. Women searching for disappeared

people faced high levels of risk.

34 Amnesty International Report

Land, territory and environmental defenders were at particular risk of attacks and harassment

by governmental authorities and non-state actors including in Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. In Bolivia, park rangers protecting the Madidi National Park

were subjected to threats and attacks, while in Peru, four land, territory and environmental

defenders were killed, including three Indigenous leaders.

Governments failed to guarantee adequate protection mechanisms for human rights

defenders. In Brazil, the Protection Programme for Human Rights Defenders operated in fewer

than half the country9s states. In Honduras, local organizations raised concerns over the

weakness and ineffectiveness of the national protection mechanism. In Peru, the Ministry of

the Interior continued to lack a protocol to coordinate the protection of human rights defenders

with the police. Despite this trend, there were some limited advances in Guatemala where the

government reactivated the ofûcial body responsible for the analysis of risks to human rights

defenders.

States must guarantee that human rights defenders are able to carry out their work safely
and without fear of reprisals. NGOs and other human rights associations and movements

must be respected and allowed to conduct their work.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY

Civic space as an intersection of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly

was threatened by governments in the region in a concerning and growing trend.

Freedom of expression was at risk due to attacks on and harassment of the press in

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay,

Uruguay and Venezuela. In Colombia and Mexico, a number of these attacks resulted in violent

deaths. In Argentina and El Salvador, female journalists experienced digital violence, including

sexual harassment.

Journalists were criminalized and stigmatized by state authorities in several countries. In

Cuba, between September and October at least 20 journalists were summoned by the

authorities, threatened with criminal prosecution and forced to record videos incriminating

themselves. Their mobile phones and laptops were conûscated. In Nicaragua, media outlets

had their assets conûscated; in Venezuela, radio stations continued to be shut down and the

government hindered access to social media platforms. In Mexico, at least four journalists were

killed and the personal information of 324 journalists provided to the presidency for

accreditation purposes was leaked and posted on a website.

Some governments continued their efforts to control, restrict or close down NGOs. Paraguay

and Venezuela approved bills that would increase control over civil society organizations and

lead to arbitrary restrictions, including closure and criminal proceedings against their

members. A similar bill was proposed in Peru but was still pending approval at the end of the

year.

Unlawful surveillance and other privacy violations continued. In Argentina and Chile, there

were reports of mass surveillance through facial recognition and other technologies. In the

USA, similar concerns were raised about a mobile application with facial recognition and GPS

tracking, which was mandatory for migration and refugee processes. In Colombia, there was

controversy around the alleged purchase in 2021 of Pegasus, highly invasive spyware that

enables full and unrestricted access to a device, and its use.

Repression and the obstruction of protest continued to be a concern in the region. Protests

were repressed by law enforcement in Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, the USA and Venezuela,

among others. In Canada and the USA, peaceful university demonstrations against Israel9s

genocide in Gaza were met with violence from law enforcement ofûcials. According to the NGO

the Venezuelan Observatory on Social Conüict, between 29 and 30 July, 915 protests were

registered in the country, out of which 138 were repressed by security forces and pro-

Americas regional overview 35

government armed groups. New restrictive regulations on the right to protest were approved or

proposed in Argentina, Nicaragua and Peru, highlighting the deterioration of civic space.

States must protect civic space and repeal laws and practices that hinder the rights to

freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and prohibit unlawful

surveillance by state and private actors.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION

States failed to investigate and redress enforced disappearances in the region. In Argentina,

the executive ordered the closure of the Special Investigation Unit for the search of children

appropriated and forcibly disappeared during the 1976-1983 military regime. In Peru, a law

instituting a statute of limitations to crimes against humanity and war crimes committed before

2002 came into effect. New cases of enforced disappearances occurred in Colombia, Cuba,

Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

Unlawful killings were committed with impunity; some cases might constitute extrajudicial

executions. In Ecuador, the Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce noted a spike in reports of possible

extrajudicial executions during the ûrst half of the year. In Mexico, military personnel attacked

and killed people in several states, including migrants and children. In Venezuela, at least 24

people died as a result of government repression of protests after a contested presidential

election. Detainees in Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela experienced torture and

other ill-treatment in prisons.

In Haiti, abuses by criminal gangs continued unabated. Gangs were responsible for

countless abuses, including killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence,

attacks on schools and hospitals, abductions and denial of humanitarian access.

Lack of accountability for human rights violations during protests and other political

repression in previous years continued in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras,

Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. Some positive developments were registered during the year,

however, including the start of criminal proceedings in recent cases of repression in Chile and

Peru. In Brazil, ûve military police ofûcers were charged with kidnapping and false

imprisonment in the case of Davi Fiuza, who was forcibly disappeared in 2014. In October, two

men were convicted for the 2018 killing of councillor and human rights defender Marielle

Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes. In Paraguay, a former police ofûcer was sentenced to

30 years in prison for torture committed in 1976, during the military regime.

Truth and reparation mechanisms were fruitful but remained insufûcient. In Brazil, memory

and truth policies were partially resumed, including the Special Commission on Political Deaths

and Disappearances. In Mexico, the Mechanism for Truth and Historical Clariûcation presented

two reports addressing grave human rights violations between 1965 and 1990. In Peru, a court

order initiated the process of comprehensive reparations for victims of forced sterilizations

during the 1990s. The ICC authorized the resumption of the investigation into alleged crimes

against humanity in Venezuela.

The Inter-American human rights system continued to be a key player in the region9s efforts

to achieve truth, justice and reparation. Among other issues, it expressed concern about

mercury poisoning of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, promoted land recovery for the Garifuna

community in Honduras and issued protection orders for people arbitrarily detained in

Nicaragua. It also determined Colombia responsible for a campaign of persecution against the

Lawyers Collective <José Alvear Restrepo= and Argentina responsible for failing to adopt

reasonable measures to prevent the 1994 attack at the headquarters of the Argentine Israelite

Mutual Association centre.

States must guarantee truth, justice and reparations for human rights violations and

crimes under international law and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to

justice in fair trials before ordinary civilian tribunals.

36 Amnesty International Report

ARBITRARY DETENTION AND UNFAIR TRIALS
Unfair trials and arbitrary detentions continued to be a daily occurrence as a form of repression

or as part of public security strategies. In Cuba, 14 people were convicted for participating in

peaceful protests in 2022 in the municipality of Nuevitas. In Guatemala, former prosecutor

Virgina Laparra was declared guilty in an unfounded criminal proceeding shortly after being

released in another arbitrary proceeding, which forced her to go into exile. The Mechanism for

the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua documented at least 151 individuals in the

country detained for political reason. In the USA, Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist,

continued to serve two life sentences despite serious concerns about his conviction and

sentencing. In Venezuela, human rights defenders and journalists continued to be criminalized

and arbitrarily detained, but people from all walks of life were at risk with at least 2,000

arbitrary detentions recorded after the elections, including 200 children.

Mass detentions, as well as detention without due process, in relation to security strategies

continued to be a concern. In Ecuador, thousands of possible arbitrary arrests were carried out

by law enforcement with apparently little justiûcation. A report by the Inter-American

Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conûrmed that the state of emergency in El Salvador

had led to mass arbitrary detentions. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention expressed

concern regarding the systematic use of arbitrary detention in Mexico, including the use of

arraigo (precautionary detention without charge) and automatic pretrial detention. Despite this,
the Mexican Congress increased the list of offences to which automatic pretrial detention

applies. In the USA, authorities expanded the system of arbitrary mass immigration detention.

In some countries, such as Venezuela, arbitrary arrests were accompanied by short-term

enforced disappearances and often followed by unfair trials before courts lacking

independence. The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

expressed concern for the right to independent and impartial judges in Bolivia, after judicial

elections were delayed for more than a year. During a country visit to Guatemala, the IACHR

pointed out that unfounded criminalization was evidence of a lack of judicial independence in

the country. Mexico amended its constitution to incorporate the election of judges at all levels,

undermining judicial independence.

Authorities must take all the necessary measures to put an end to arbitrary detentions

and to guarantee the right to a fair trial.

DISCRIMINATION
Anti-Black racism and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples continued to be prevalent in

the region. In August, the IACHR recognized that structural racism and racial discrimination

posed barriers to the full enjoyment of the rights of Afro-descendant people and tribal

communities and called on states to implement comprehensive reparatory justice.

Law enforcement actions were targeted against, or disproportionately affected, Afro-

descendants in Brazil, Ecuador and the USA. In Canada, the Federal Court heard an

application to certify a class action brought by current and former federal public service

workers against the government for anti-Black racism in recruitment. In the Dominican

Republic, racial discrimination remained widespread and structural, particularly towards

Dominicans of Haitian descent and Haitian asylum seekers seeking protection.

In Brazil, 537,941 Indigenous individuals faced food insecurity, according to the Ministry of

Indigenous Peoples. In Canada, the police killed nine Indigenous People in separate incidents

in one month. In Colombia, Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant communities continued

to experience disproportionate impacts from human rights violations and breaches of

international humanitarian law and were disproportionately affected by large-scale forced

displacement.

Americas regional overview 37

Discrimination against LGBTI individuals was recorded in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,

Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the USA and Venezuela.

Violence severely affected transgender people. In Brazil, in a report published in 2024, the

human rights group Grupo Gay da Bahia reported 257 violent deaths in 2023, mainly affecting

young Black transgender individuals. In Colombia at least 21 transgender women were killed,

according to the NGO Afûrmative Caribbean. In Mexico, the media and civil society

organizations reported at least 59 femicides of transgender women.

States must take the necessary measures to end racism, discrimination and other forms

of intolerance and ensure redress for victims.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

States failed to take the necessary actions to minimize the human rights impacts of the climate

crisis. Governments did not properly address their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions and phase out the use of fossil fuels. Countries including Brazil, Ecuador and

Venezuela increased oil extraction and gas üaring. Canada and the USA, both high-income and

high-emitting countries, failed to address the use of fossil fuels in the production of energy and

remained major emitters of greenhouse gases. They also blocked agreement on an adequate

new climate ûnance target at COP29.

Fires in the region, especially in the Amazon basin, caused massive loss of fragile

ecosystems and affected the ability of carbon sinks to mitigate global warming. There were

extensive wildûres in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru

and the USA. The response of governments to the effects of ûres on ecosystems and human

rights, including those of Indigenous Peoples and rural communities, was insufûcient.

The worsening effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion and

üoods, affected communities throughout the Americas region. Flooding in Rio Grande do Sul in

Brazil affected 2.3 million people and displaced 600,000. In Honduras, communities in the

Gulf of Fonseca reported negative impacts on their livelihoods caused by rising sea levels. In

Mexico, families from the El Bosque community, who had been evacuated in 2023 due to sea

level rises attributed to climate change, were relocated and received new homes following legal

actions by community members.

Governments must urgently address the effects of the climate crisis on human rights by
taking local, national and region-wide action, including phasing out fossil fuels and by

seeking international assistance and climate ûnance when needed. High-income, high-
emitting countries must provide adequate climate ûnance.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

States did not fulûl their obligations to guarantee economic and social rights, which particularly

affected groups that suffer discrimination. Poverty and inequality remained problematic in the

region. In Argentina, the introduction of austerity measures had a disproportionate impact on

children and older people.

Health services were inadequate and underfunded, affecting access to services and

medicines in Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay

and Venezuela. In Brazil, dengue fever cases surged leaving 6,041 dead, compared with 1,179

deaths in 2023. In Haiti, the health system faced serious challenges that brought it to the brink

of collapse. In Puerto Rico, the health and lives of people dependent on electrical equipment

were put at risk by the inadequate electricity supply. In Uruguay, access to mental health

services was insufûcient in the face of growing demand. Despite the recommendation of a 6%

GDP health expenditure by the Pan American Health Organization, Mexico allocated only 2.9%

of GDP and Paraguay only 4%, to name two examples.

38 Amnesty International Report

Food insecurity affected millions, including children, in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti

and Venezuela. In Argentina, the minimum pension beneût failed to cover the cost of living. In

Cuba, the government signiûcantly reduced the supply of subsidized <basic food baskets= and

people had to stand in long lines to access groceries. Almost half the population in Haiti

needed humanitarian assistance, with alarming levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. The

UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food visited Venezuela and reported that nearly 53% of

the population was exposed to extreme poverty with insufûcient income to purchase a <basic

food basket=.

States must take all necessary measures to tackle poverty and inequality and to meet

their human rights obligations regarding economic, social and cultural rights.

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Gender-based violence, including femicide, continued unabated and unpunished throughout

the region. A variety of sources reported alarming numbers of femicides in the region, including

in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and

Venezuela. Neither Cuba nor the Dominican Republic had legislation making femicide a

speciûc criminal offence.

In Argentina, a femicide was reported every 33 hours; despite this, the government

implemented budgetary cuts to policies addressing gender-based violence. There were limited

developments in Guatemala as the government acknowledged state responsibility for the

feminicides of Maria Isabel Véliz Franco and Claudina Velásquez in the early 2000s, as ruled

by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Other forms of violence also affected women and girls in the region. In Brazil, the Federal

Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce was actively monitoring cases of gender-based political violence

against women. In Canada, organizations called on the Ontario state government and

municipalities to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. In the Dominican Republic,

the media reported sexual and gender-based violence during immigration operations. In Haiti,

sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, increased in the ûrst half of the year. In

Peru, the government registered 12,924 cases of rape against women and girls. In the USA,

government data indicated that American Indian and Alaska Native women were 2.2 times

more likely to experience sexual violence than non-Indigenous women.

Authorities must end impunity for violent crimes against women and girls and increase

efforts to prevent them.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Access to abortion continued to be hindered in law and practice, disproportionately affecting

people facing intersecting forms of discrimination. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti,

Honduras and Nicaragua continued to prohibit abortion in all circumstances. Partial

criminalization of abortion remained a source of concern. In Brazil, the Ministry of Women

reported that the prohibition of abortion disproportionately affected women living in poverty. In

Peru, only therapeutic abortion was legal and access to such abortions was inadequate.

Venezuela made no progress in improving sexual and reproductive rights, and abortion

remained criminalized.

Several countries introduced policies in law or practice that reduced access to reproductive

health services. In Argentina, the National Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health

announced that there was a shortage of essential supplies for abortion services. In Chile,

healthcare institutions and professionals refused to perform abortion services on the grounds of

their moral or religious views, undermining pregnant people9s right to access abortion. In

Puerto Rico, the Senate approved Bill PS 495, introducing restrictions on abortions for minors,

Americas regional overview 39

requiring the authorization of a parent or guardian for the procedure. In the USA, bans and

restrictions on abortion threatened people9s rights to life and health, and exacerbated barriers

to abortion for Black and other racialized people, Indigenous Peoples, undocumented

immigrants, transgender people, rural residents and people living in poverty. Medical

professionals increasingly left states with severe abortion bans, increasing regional inequality in

access to reproductive healthcare and particularly affecting rural and low-income areas.

Nevertheless, some progress was registered with health authorities in Colombia publishing

regulations granting access to lawful abortion services up until 24 weeks of pregnancy, as

mandated by a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling. In Mexico, seven states adopted legislation

decriminalizing abortion, although another one reduced it from 12 to six weeks.

Authorities must guarantee access to safe abortions and other sexual and reproductive

rights.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

Indigenous Peoples continued to be subjected to discrimination and marginalization, and

states failed to respect their rights. The right to free, prior and informed consent was denied in

several countries. The Bolivian government failed to implement meaningful processes to

guarantee consent for extractive projects affecting Indigenous territories. Canada negotiated a

free trade agreement with Ecuador without consulting with Indigenous Peoples in the country.

Abuses by state and non-state actors were frequently linked to land tenure and titling issues.

In Brazil, hundreds of conüicts affecting Indigenous Peoples largely stemmed from the lack of

land demarcation and the demarcation process advanced slowly. In Guatemala, dozens of

peasant ( campesino) and Indigenous communities were at risk of forced evictions. In

Paraguay, the Tekoha Sauce Indigenous community of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense people

were still waiting for the restitution of their ancestral territory, appropriated by the Itaipú

Binational hydroelectric dam. The IACHR expressed concern about the ongoing impacts of

illegal mining on the life, health and survival of the Yanomami people in Venezuela.

Indigenous Peoples continued to face harassment and violence throughout the region,

including a lack of state protection against violence in Brazil, harassment by law enforcement

ofûcials in Chile, and internal forced displacement in Mexico and Nicaragua. In Colombia, the

Ombudsperson9s Ofûce reported that 50% of children recruited by armed groups were

Indigenous People. In Canada, the report of the Independent Special Interlocutor

acknowledged that Indian Residential Schools were <colonial institutions of genocide=. In the

USA, the Department of the Interior published its ûnal report on the Federal Indian Boarding

School initiative, identifying at least 74 marked and unmarked burial sites at 65 schools and at

least 973 conûrmed deaths.

States must respect and protect Indigenous Peoples9 rights, including ownership and

control over their lands and resources, and take measures to eliminate discrimination and
violence against them.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

Thousands of people continued to leave their countries and move across the region, due to

persecution, human rights violations, insecurity and the adverse effects of climate change.

Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers faced xenophobia and racism in the Americas. By the

end of the year, more than 7.89 million Venezuelans had üed the country since 2015, while

people also üed from Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras due to violence and human rights

violations. In June, the IACHR noted with concern that many states9 responses to migration

included externalization and militarization of borders and deportation without due process.

40 Amnesty International Report

Refugees and migrants faced legal and bureaucratic obstacles to exercising their rights. In

Canada, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program continued to tie migrant workers to a single

employer who controlled their legal status and labour conditions, putting migrant workers at

heightened risk of labour exploitation. In the Dominican Republic, authorities failed to inform

new arrivals about the asylum process, imposed undue barriers for visas and residence

permits, summarily and collectively expelled Haitians and implemented racist migration

policies. In Mexico, the National Institute of Migration failed to expedite humanitarian visas to

asylum seekers, preventing them from accessing their rights to health, education and work. In

Peru, authorities continued to expel migrants and refugees without the guarantee that another

country would receive them. The USA suspended the entry of asylum seekers at the USA-

Mexico border, violating their right to seek safety and forcing them to wait in Mexico where they

were exposed to extortion, abducted, and experienced discrimination and sexual and gender-

based violence.

Refugees and migrants continued to face violence, harassment and threats. In the

Dominican Republic, violence and excessive use of force were recurrent in raids, according to

local NGOs. In Chile, Congress continued to discuss bills proposing the criminalization of

refugees and migrants.

Authorities must cease unlawful deportations and respect the principle of non-

refoulement. States must combat racism and xenophobia and guarantee all internationally

recognized rights to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Americas regional overview 41

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL OVERVIEW

ü
Political turmoil, repression and armed con ict contributed to a worrying human rights

picture in the region. Yet despite huge risks, human rights defenders and activists

continued to claim their rights and speak out against oppression.

New laws curtailed rights further, including to freedom of expression. Protests were
frequently responded to with unlawful force often resulting in casualties. Political

opponents, human rights defenders, journalists and others were subjected to surveillance,

arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment and unlawful killing. These and other

violations were facilitated by impunity, although a court decision and truth commission

recommendations offered hope of reparations for victims in Japan and South Korea.

Extreme weather, rising sea levels and other slow onset events caused more devastation,

yet governments again failed to take the urgent action needed to tackle climate change and

adapt to climate-related harms.

û ü
A signi cant escalation in the armed con ict in Myanmar resulted in further grave

violations of international law. Rights, particularly those of women and girls, became even

more restricted under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and severe repression of dissent

continued in China and North Korea.

There was progress towards recognition of LGBTI rights in some countries. However,

systematic gender-based discrimination and violence against women, girls and LGBTI

people remained pervasive. The rights of Indigenous Peoples and of ethnic and descent-
based minorities were routinely ignored during extraction and development projects.

Violations of economic and social rights, including to housing and education, remained

high. People üeeing conüict and repression were too often put at risk by forcible
û
deportations or inde nite arbitrary detention.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The space for freedom of expression continued to shrink across the region. In countries

including Indonesia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea, media workers faced violence and

intimidation. In Afghanistan, more media outlets were banned, including two private TV stations

that were suspended for criticizing the Taliban. Journalists in Myanmar were sentenced to long

prison sentences. In Pakistan, at least seven journalists were killed in targeted attacks and

dozens of others were arrested and charged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.

New laws restricting the right to freedom of expression came into effect in Bangladesh,

Malaysia, Pakistan and Viet Nam. Sri Lanka9s new Online Safety Act contained vaguely deûned

crimes and broad powers leading to fears that it would be used to further restrict free speech.

In India, new laws replacing colonial-era legislation were also restrictive and the crime of

sedition, used to suppress government critics, was retained. The Chinese government

introduced new measures to prevent mainland internet users from using slang and other

<obscure expressions= to evade online censorship. In Hong Kong, authorities rubber-stamped

the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance which introduced broad deûnitions of <national

security= and <state secrets= already applied in mainland China, along with stronger

enforcement powers and harsher penalties.

Government critics faced prosecution in many countries. In Thailand, trials and

imprisonment of pro-democracy activists under lese-majesty and other restrictive laws

continued. In Cambodia, a journalist, internationally recognized for exposing human rights

abuses in cyber scam compounds, was arrested and charged with incitement. In Singapore,

government critics, including opponents of the death penalty, were required to post

42 Amnesty International Report

<corrections= for spreading <online falsehoods=. In Laos, two artists were detained for satirical

social media posts criticizing poor road conditions, while in China, a renowned artist was

detained for decades-old works criticizing the Communist Party leadership.

Tight control over on- and ofüine communications in some countries further restricted

access to information and excessively limited freedom of expression. The North Korean

government9s ban on contact with the outside world continued. Arbitrary internet restrictions

were imposed in Pakistan. In Bangladesh and India authorities imposed temporary internet

blackouts ostensibly to maintain law and order, but in practice they were used to suppress

dissent. In Malaysia, two ûlmmakers of a previously banned ûlm were charged with <wounding

religious feelings=.

Concerns about the use of surveillance technologies continued. In Indonesia, Amnesty

International documented the extensive sale and deployment of highly invasive spyware to and

by state agencies and private companies. In Thailand, a court dismissed a case brought by a

pro-democracy activist against cyber intelligence company NSO Group for its role in facilitating

the use of its Pegasus spyware to hack his phone.

Attempts to silence critics abroad by some governments became more pervasive. Mainland

Chinese and Hong Kong students studying overseas continued to be subjected to surveillance.

Hong Kong authorities issued further arrest warrants and cancelled the passports of pro-

democracy activists living overseas, and offered ûnancial rewards for information which could

lead to arrests. A human rights lawyer who worked on political cases and was forcibly returned

to China from Laos in 2023, was detained pending trial.

Governments must repeal or amend laws that violate the exercise of the right to freedom
of expression, take measures to protect the expression of political and other opinions,

including to safeguard media freedoms.

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION

Governments in the region responded to protests with repression. In Bangladesh, student

protests sparked by the reinstatement of a law reserving a quota of government jobs for

descendants of independence war veterans, were met with unlawful force. As anti-government

demonstrations spread, the armed forces were deployed and <shoot-on-sight= orders issued,

resulting in close to a thousand deaths 3 many more were injured. In Indonesia, police used

excessive and unnecessary force against crowds protesting against changes to the election law.

Although the proposed amendments were subsequently withdrawn, many demonstrators were

injured and hundreds arbitrarily arrested.

In Nepal, protests were forcibly dispersed and peaceful demonstrators detained. Police in

the capital, Kathmandu, used tear gas and water cannons to break up demonstrations on

several occasions. In India, excessive force by police against farmers9 protests resulted in at

least one death. Hong Kong authorities deployed police to prevent commemorations of the

1989 Tiananmen crackdown. As in previous years, several people were arrested for

participating in such events. In Papua New Guinea, police arrested and charged several men

protesting against their eviction from an informal settlement in the capital, Port Moresby.

Following a declaration of martial law by the president of South Korea, fundamental rights

including the right to assembly were suspended 3 a move that was quickly reversed by the

National Assembly. He was subsequently suspended from ofûce and a warrant for his arrest

was issued at the end of December.

Advocates for an end to the war in Gaza and Palestinian rights faced harassment and arrest.

In Fiji, police banned demonstrators from carrying Israeli and Palestinian üags and intimidated

peaceful protesters. Authorities in Singapore investigated several people for protesting against

arms sales to Israel and charged three others who were attempting to deliver a petition against

the war to the Presidential Palace. In the Maldives, two women were arrested at

Asia-Pacific regional overview 43

demonstrations demanding boycotts on Israeli products. In Malaysia, police detained pro-

Palestinian protesters outside the US embassy in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The right to freedom of association also came under further attack. In Thailand, a court

ordered the disbandment of the opposition Move Forward Party, which had won the highest

number of seats in the 2023 parliamentary elections. Eleven of the party9s executives were also

banned from running for ofûce. In the Philippines, the government continued to target <red-

tagged= activists and organizations accused of links to banned communist groups by charging

them with terrorism-related offences. In Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, garment

workers were prevented from exercising their right to freedom of association to address low

wages and extreme informalization of labour. In Bangladesh, at least one garment worker was

killed and dozens of others injured when police ûred on a protest for higher wages.

Governments should ensure the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association

are protected. Unlawful use of force against protesters must be prevented and laws, policies

and practices that violate the rights of peaceful assembly and association reviewed and
changed.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Extreme weather, slow onset events and toxic air pollution exacerbated by climate change had

devastating consequences across the region, disproportionately affecting the poorest and most

marginalized. High income, high emitting countries in the region worked with other higher

income countries to block agreement at COP29 on an adequate level of climate ûnance that

was being demanded by lower income countries.

South Asia was again impacted by extreme heat and severe üoods which affected the lives of

millions. In India9s Assam state, üoods resulted in the deaths of at least 113 people. In

Bangladesh, 500,000 people were displaced. Flooding and landslides in Afghanistan, Nepal,

and Pakistan also resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced thousands. Air pollution in

India9s capital, Delhi, and in cities in Pakistan reached record levels causing deaths in both

countries, particularly among members of marginalized communities.

Some progress towards reducing carbon emissions or improving environmental protections

was evident, but overall, the regional response to climate change and environmental

degradation was insufûcient. In China, capacity to generate energy from non-fossil fuel sources

exceeded that from fossil fuels for the ûrst time. However, the pace of China9s construction of

coal-ûred power plants abroad remained concerning. In Papua New Guinea, 30% of land was

allocated for conservation, although the country remained heavily reliant on fossil fuels. A

landmark court decision in South Korea required the government to revise greenhouse

emissions targets to protect the rights of future generations. Paciûc Island nations supported

the start of hearings by the International Court of Justice on states9 obligations and

responsibilities surrounding climate change.

Many other governments failed to meet fossil fuel reduction and other targets, even when

they had committed to them. Japan9s investment in overseas liqueûed natural gas projects

continued to undermine global efforts to reduce fossil fuel use. Australia undermined progress

with its plans to increase, rather than scale down, coal and gas production by 2030. A new law

in New Zealand weakened environmental protections, and a draft energy law and regulation in

Indonesia were criticized for failing to facilitate the transition to net zero emissions. Despite

suffering severe climate-induced harms, India9s climate change targets continued to be rated

<highly insufûcient=.

Environmental human rights defenders continued to be targeted for their work. They

included a leading ûgure in the climate change movement imprisoned in Viet Nam, who went

on hunger strike for the third time to protest against deplorable detention conditions. In

44 Amnesty International Report

Cambodia, 10 environmental activists associated with the Mother Nature movement were

convicted of <plotting= and <insulting the King=.

Governments must increase investment in disaster preparedness and adaptation and

prioritize the protection of marginalized and other groups disproportionately affected by the

climate crisis, including by seeking international assistance and climate ûnance, if needed.
Higher income and other high-emitting countries must take the lead in climate mitigation,

including by stopping the expansion of fossil fuel production, ending fossil fuel subsidies,
and ensuring that their climate policies are consistent with keeping global warming within

1.5°C.

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS, AND TORTURE AND

OTHER ILL-TREATMENT
Human rights defenders, political activists and others were subjected to arbitrary arrest and

detention in many countries in the region. Those detained often faced torture and other ill-

treatment.

In Afghanistan, more than 20,000 people, including 1,500 women, were reportedly

imprisoned. They included perceived political opponents and individuals accused of violating

the Taliban9s morality code. Detainees were at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Extrajudicial killings of detainees were also reported. North Korean authorities continued to

hold thousands of people in political prison camps, where they faced inhuman conditions and

torture and other ill-treatment including sexual violence.

In China, labour rights activists and citizen journalists were among those sentenced to prison

terms for advocating for human rights. In Hong Kong, 45 pro-democracy activists were

sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of <conspiring to commit

subversion= for organizing unofûcial election primaries. Prisoners in Viet Nam serving long

sentences for opposing the government suffered ill health and were denied access to medical

care. In Pakistan, more than 100 civilians were held in military custody for participating in

protests against the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in 2023; 85 were sentenced to

prison terms by military courts. Senior opposition leaders remained in detention awaiting trial.

The Sri Lankan government9s much criticized and highly abusive anti-drugs campaign

continued, leading to the arbitrary detention of tens of thousands of people, mainly from

marginalized socio-economic groups.

Authorities must refrain from misusing the justice system against political opponents and

others exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression, peaceful protest and other

human rights. States must release and compensate those who are arbitrarily detained and
prohibit and criminalize torture and other acts of ill-treatment.

IMPUNITY AND THE RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION

Despite some progress towards justice for victims of human rights violations in several

countries, impunity continued to be the norm in the region and fuelled further violations.

In Pakistan and the Philippines, where there has been little or no accountability for long-

standing patterns of enforced disappearances, labour and land rights activists, political

opponents and journalists were among those forcibly disappeared during the year. Lack of

access to justice in Afghanistan further enabled the culture of impunity and continued human

rights violations. The Chinese government took no steps towards establishing accountability for

possible crimes against humanity against members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim

groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Indian government not only failed to

intervene to stop ethnic violence in the state of Manipur, but also did not pursue prosecutions

Asia-Pacific regional overview 45

against members of armed vigilante groups responsible for human rights abuses during the

violence. In Papua, Indonesia, unlawful killings of civilians continued with impunity in the

context of the armed separatist struggle.

There were also moments of hope. In Japan, the Supreme Court ruled that victims of a

former <eugenics= law, under which more than 16,000 people with disabilities or chronic

illnesses were forcibly sterilized, should receive compensation. A report issued by a truth

commission in South Korea on the coerced adoption of thousands of babies between 1961 and

1987 recommended reparations for victims. In Bangladesh, the new interim government

established a commission of inquiry to investigate enforced disappearances of activists,

political opponents and others between 2009 and 2024.

However, justice efforts faltered elsewhere. In Nepal, newly adopted legislation intended to

advance justice for atrocities committed during the armed conüict era was not fully consistent

with international standards and could shield some perpetrators from prosecution. In Sri Lanka,

civil society rejected proposed legislation to establish a new truth and reconciliation

commission, including because of lack of meaningful consultation with victims, and the

government9s failure to implement recommendations made by previous investigative bodies.

Governments must strengthen efforts to ûght impunity by undertaking prompt,

independent, impartial and effective investigations into crimes under international law and

other serious human rights abuses, bringing suspected perpetrators to justice, and ensuring

effective remedy for victims.

VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

As the armed conüict in Myanmar escalated, the military and some armed opposition groups

were accused of committing war crimes and other serious violations of international

humanitarian law. The military campaign of indiscriminate and direct attacks on civilians and

civilian infrastructure intensiûed bringing the death toll to over 6,000 since the 2021 coup.

Shipments of aviation fuel continued to reach the military despite international measures to halt

supplies. The armed opposition group Arakan Army was accused of burning the homes of and

killing Rohingya civilians, causing many to üee their homeland in Rakhine State.

In Afghanistan, attacks by armed groups including the Islamic State of Khorasan Province,

predominantly targeting Shia-Hazara communities, resulted in more civilian casualties. Civilian

casualties were also reported following Pakistan military aerial bombardments of Taliban

positions along the border.

ü
All parties to armed con icts must respect international humanitarian law, including by

ending direct attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and indiscriminate

attacks.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan worsened. According to the UN, over half the

population required humanitarian assistance, with 85% living on under USD 1 a day. Access to

healthcare was a problem for all, but especially for women and girls with the EU warning that

only 10% had access to basic health services. In North Korea, 40% of the population was

reportedly undernourished. Taliban and North Korean government policies and actions were a

signiûcant contributory factor to these dire humanitarian situations.

Authorities in several countries continued to carry out forced evictions and house

demolitions in violation of the right to housing. In India the Supreme Court ruled that forced

demolition of property was illegal, but only after thousands of homes had been destroyed in

previous years in a continuing government campaign to <punish= Muslims for past communal

violence. In Mongolia, authorities forcibly evicted almost 2,000 households from land in the

46 Amnesty International Report

capital, Ulaanbaatar. In Nepal, families, often from marginalized Dalit and Tharu communities,

living in informal settlements were forcibly evicted. There was no remedy for thousands of

people forcibly evicted from the Angkor World Heritage site in Cambodia in previous years.

Many others continued to live under the threat of eviction.

Tens of millions of children in the region continued to be denied their right to education. The

Taliban maintained their ban on girls9 education beyond primary school. Millions of children in

Myanmar were out of school because of the armed conüict and deliberate attacks by the

military on education facilities. Further school closures by the Chinese government threatened

Tibetan culture and language. Reduced spending on the education sector was among the

concerns raised by OHCHR, the UN Human Rights Ofûce, in relation to declining public

investment in social services in Laos.

Reports of forced labour and poor working conditions also continued. The UN described

forced labour in North Korea as widespread and institutionalized and said that the systematic

use of forced labour in prisons may amount to the crime against humanity of enslavement.

Malaiyaha Tamil tea plantation workers accused the Sri Lankan government of failing to protect

workers from forced labour, debt bondage and other human rights abuses.

Governments must act to ensure economic, social and cultural rights, including to food,

healthcare, housing and education to all people without discrimination, and end the

practice of forced labour.

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

Gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls was pervasive across the

region. In Afghanistan, where women and girls were already experiencing the crime against

humanity of gender persecution, the Taliban imposed yet more restrictions effectively limiting

all aspects of their life. Many were arrested for non-compliance with dress codes and there

were reports of rape and other forms of sexual violence against detained women and girls.

Levels of gender-based violence increased sharply; women9s rights groups reported that more

than 300 women and girls were killed during the year.

Elsewhere, governments failed to take adequate action to address high rates of rape, sexual

abuse and harassment, and other forms of violence against women and girls. In South Korea,

the growth of online deepfake non-consensual images and videos was deemed by women9s

groups to constitute a <national emergency=. In the Maldives, the government failed to act on

UN treaty body recommendations to make female genital mutilation and domestic violence

speciûc crimes.

In India, the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in her workplace sparked nationwide

protests. Caste-based discrimination in India also continued to fuel sexual and other violence

against Dalit women. In one instance a woman was burnt alive after she ûled a sexual

harassment complaint in Madya Pradesh state. Impunity for violence against Dalit women and

girls also persisted in Nepal.

Governments must implement comprehensive measures to address discrimination and

gender-based violence against women and girls, including by tackling root causes of

intersectional gender-based discrimination, ensuring access to justice, protection and other

support for survivors, and ending impunity for perpetrators.

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Thailand became the ûrst country in South-east Asia to achieve marriage equality for LGBTI

people; court rulings in several other countries also advanced LGBTI rights. In South Korea,

the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples were entitled to the same healthcare as

heterosexual couples. In China, a court awarded child visiting rights to a woman in a same-sex

Asia-Pacific regional overview 47

relationship. In Japan, two separate high court decisions ruled that the ban on same-sex

marriage was unconstitutional. In Nepal, a Supreme Court ruling recognized the right of a

transgender woman to have her gender identity recognized in ofûcial documents.

However, LGBTI people continued to be subjected to violence, discrimination and, in some

countries, criminalization. Consensual same-sex sexual relations remained punishable by death

in Afghanistan. In China, LGBTI activists were at risk of arbitrary detention. Transgender people

remained at particular risk of violence. In Fiji, there was outcry by human rights groups when

the authorities failed to effectively investigate the death of a transgender sex worker after she

was kidnapped and violently assaulted.

Governments should strengthen protections for LGBTI people, including by

decriminalizing consensual same-sex sexual relations, adopting comprehensive anti-

discrimination laws, and ensuring access to legal gender recognition. All reports of violence

and other abuses against LGBTI people should be effectively investigated and perpetrators

brought to justice.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS, AND ETHNIC AND DESCENT-

BASED DISCRIMINATION
Indigenous Peoples9 rights suffered setbacks in several countries and Indigenous Peoples and

ethnic and descent-based minorities continued to be disproportionately affected by

marginalization and discrimination across the region.

In a positive step, Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan won the right to use their Indigenous

names, rather than Mandarin language versions, in ofûcial documents. In contrast, the New

Zealand government enacted new laws and proposed others that undermined the rights of

M
ori, prompting countrywide protests. In other countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia,

development projects on land claimed by Indigenous Peoples continued without their free,

prior and informed consent. In Mongolia, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of

Indigenous Peoples expressed concern about the negative impact of mining activities on the

lives and livelihoods of herder communities.

In Australia and New Zealand, Indigenous Peoples were signiûcantly over-represented in the

criminal justice system. In the former, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children suffered

high rates of incarceration 3 three Aboriginal boys were reported to have died in detention in

Western Australia. In Viet Nam, Montagnard Indigenous Peoples continued to face

discrimination, and more than 100 were convicted of terrorism charges in unfair trials in

relation to attacks on police posts in 2023.

The Chinese government continued its repression of non-Han ethnic groups, including by

arbitrarily detaining cultural and religious ûgures. Hundreds of hate crimes were reported

against Muslims and other religious minorities in India, where over 100 people were convicted

of torching Dalit homes in 2014.

Authorities must take concrete measures to guarantee the rights of Indigenous Peoples as

well as those of ethnic and descent-based minorities, including by repealing or amending

legislation and policies that discriminate against them, prioritizing policies and programmes

to eliminate structural discrimination in the criminal justice system and elsewhere, and
ensuring meaningful consultation on and free prior and informed consent for development

and other projects and decisions that affect them.

48 Amnesty International Report

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS
Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand were among the countries that continued to allow the

indeûnite arbitrary detention of refugees and migrants. In Malaysia, concerns were raised about

the continued detention of children and there were ongoing reports of dire conditions and

abuse in immigration detention centres. In Thailand, the UN found that the appalling detention

conditions of a group of more than 40 Uyghur asylum seekers, who had been held for over 10

years, could amount to torture or other ill-treatment.

People üeeing armed conüict and repression were at risk of forcible return. Border guards in

Bangladesh unlawfully returned Rohingya people üeeing armed conüict in Myanmar9s Rakhine

State; Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh continued to suffer appalling

conditions. Thai authorities were suspected of collaborating with the Vietnamese government to

arrest several Montagnard refugees, including one human rights defender who faced potential

deportation to Viet Nam where he would be at risk of human rights violations. Pakistan

authorities pursued a deportation policy, forcibly returning hundreds of thousands of refugees

to Afghanistan despite calls to provide international protection to Afghans üeeing systematic

discrimination and oppression there.

Migrant workers in several countries lived and worked in unsafe conditions. Human

trafûcking also remained a concern in the region. In South Korea, a factory ûre killed 23

people, mostly migrant workers. In Taiwan, Indonesian workers were found to have worked on

a ûshing vessel for over a year without pay or contact with the outside world before the

authorities intervened. In Cambodia, concerns persisted about human trafûcking and forced

labour in scam compounds, while a UN treaty body raised concerns of sex trafûcking in Laos.

Governments must cease detaining asylum seekers simply on the basis of their

immigration status and allow them to seek international protection. Unlawful deportations
should be immediately halted and the principle of non-refoulement respected. Protections

û
against human traf cking and forced labour should be strengthened and survivors of human

û
traf cking provided with legal and other support.

DEATH PENALTY
Pressure for the abolition of the death penalty in Japan intensiûed after the death sentence of

an 88-year-old man, who had spent more than 45 years on death row, was overturned after a

judge found that evidence in his original trial for murder was fabricated. Public executions

continued in Afghanistan, and there were reports that the Taliban may resume the stoning to

death of women for <adultery=.

Executions of people convicted of drug-related offences continued in several countries,

including China and Singapore. The extent to which the death penalty was used in China,

North Korea and Viet Nam remained unknown, but was believed to be extensive. A new law in

China placed further restrictions on disclosing information about the practice and new judicial

guidance encouraged the use of the death penalty against individuals supporting Taiwanese

independence.

Governments retaining the death penalty must take urgent steps to abolish it and, in the

û
meantime, establish an of cial moratorium on executions.

Asia-Pacific regional overview 49

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL

OVERVIEW

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Russia9s continuing aggression against Ukraine dominated an embattled rights landscape,
with the region at the forefront of the global downswing against human rights. The war and

increasingly authoritarian practices saw a growing number of countries move in tandem as

they rejected their human rights obligations and undermined national and international

institutions. Champions of human rights were left under siege.

Russia9s relentless violations of international humanitarian law and crimes under

international law, including direct attacks on civilian infrastructure, saw an incessant loss of

life and a dramatic drop in basic living conditions in Ukraine, along with growing suffering
among children and other at-risk groups.

ü
Impunity persisted for these crimes, as well as for violations in the con ict between

Armenia and Azerbaijan, and many governments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia led

audacious assaults on human rights with little prospect of accountability. Civil society was

under direct attack and shrank in many countries, operating in a climate of fear and

secrecy. Rights defenders were jailed or forced into exile. Peaceful protesters braved

growing repression despite unprecedented violence. Notwithstanding the courageous efforts

of many, the impact of the human rights community visibly declined.

û
The abuse of extremist and terrorist legislation, and of cial rhetoric of <traditional

ü
values=, sti ed gender and sexual and reproductive rights, in particular. Monitoring

activities, including by international organizations, were increasingly constrained.

Transnational persecution of exiled activists increased, exposing further the weakness of

national and international mechanisms in protecting human rights.

Freedom of religion and belief saw setbacks. Justice systems were blatantly weaponized
to suppress dissent, and torture and other ill-treatment remained endemic. Gender-based

violence increased. The rights of refugees and migrants continued to be eroded.

Fossil fuel production and consumption grew, contributing to air pollution, which blighted

human health.

VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

Russia continued to systematically attack civilian infrastructure and commit war crimes in

Ukraine. Civilian casualties were higher than in 2023. As Russia continued to target population

centres with missiles and drones, basic living conditions plummeted for Ukrainian civilians,

with children, older people and other at-risk groups paying a particularly high price. Russia

destroyed or occupied up to 70% of Ukraine9s thermal energy generation capacity, causing

regular rolling blackouts. Scores of Ukrainian prisoners of war were illegally tried in Russia and

in areas of Ukraine it occupied, for participating in hostilities.

Russia reported hundreds of civilians dying from Ukrainian strikes on its own territory, but

the numbers and circumstances could not be veriûed independently.

Impunity continued for past violations in the conüict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over

the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia to

be in violation of the right to life and other human rights while establishing and policing the

boundaries of the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia.

All allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity should be subject to impartial

and independent investigations, including through the principle of universal jurisdiction.

50 Amnesty International Report

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Dissenting voices were increasingly suppressed under charges of treason and threatening

national security, via designation as <foreign agents= and by the use of counter-extremist,

counter-terrorist and homophobic legislation, propped up by rhetoric around <traditional

values=. Not one was spared, from human rights defenders to artists, journalists, playwrights

and lawyers.

Belarus9s <List of persons involved in extremist activities= exceeded 4,700 names, and the

number of online, printed and broadcast materials banned as <extremist content= almost

doubled in 2024. Harassment and violence escalated against dissenting voices in Georgia, with

many activists and protesters suffering vicious attacks by unidentiûed assailants, in some cases

seemingly encouraged or instigated by authorities.

Dozens of independent journalists, activists, bloggers and social media commentators in

Kyrgyzstan faced criminal prosecution ostensibly in retribution for criticism. Moldova extended

the scope of its anti-treason legislation to peacetime. Tajikistan adopted a law prohibiting

clothing that was <alien to national culture=. Uzbekistan9s latest draft of its Information Code

prohibited dissemination of information promoting <separatism= and <religious extremism= or

displaying disrespect towards the state.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION

The operating environment for civil society organizations was stymied, stigmatized and

imperilled. Building on the long-standing Russian model, Kyrgyzstan adopted <foreign agent=

style legislation. It obliged NGOs receiving foreign funding and engaging in vaguely deûned

<political activity= to register as <foreign representatives=, forcing many organizations to reduce

activities or stop operating as NGOs. Similarly, Georgia enacted the Transparency of Foreign

Inüuence law compelling organizations with over 20% foreign funding to declare themselves

agents of foreign inüuence and comply with onerous and intrusive requirements.

In Azerbaijan, independent NGOs and the media continued to face arbitrary restrictions,

including denial of registration and burdensome reporting requirements. Tajikistan continued to

shut down NGOs, further to 700 closed in recent years. In Russia, 55 more organizations,

including those of Indigenous Peoples, were arbitrarily labelled <extremist=, and the list of

individuals and organizations labelled as <foreign agents= grew by 169.

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

The already negligible space for peaceful assembly shrunk dramatically further, via unduly

restrictive legislation and the use of unlawful force against protesters. This, alongside the

crackdown on freedom of association, discouraged participation in human rights activities,

including by those who could form the next generation of leadership.

In Georgia, police did not stop at beating, injuring and detaining hundreds of protesters, but

also searched and arrested activists in their homes and ofûces.

In Russia, following the sudden, suspicious death of prominent opposition leader Aleksei

Navalny in prison, hundreds were arrested and dozens received severe administrative penalties

including ûnes and detention, for publicly mourning him. In Armenia, police used unlawful

force against demonstrators on several occasions during large-scale protests in April and May

calling on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign. In Kazakhstan, <offences= under

assemblies-related legislation allowed authorities to jail protesters long after the event.

Governments must repeal laws and end practices that hinder the rights to freedom of

expression, association and peaceful assembly, and stop using pretexts to crush dissent and

ü
sti e discussion of their human rights records.

Europe and Central Asia regional overview 51

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

Freedom of religion and belief saw setbacks across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ukraine

legislated to ban <religious organizations afûliated with centres of inüuence= in Russia. At the

same time Orthodox priests in Russia who expressed anti-war sentiment were defrocked or

otherwise reprimanded, and imprisonment of Jehovah9s Witnesses continued. Religious ûgures

in Belarus not aligned with government policy faced harassment and arrests. In Tajikistan, the

Pamiri minority continued to suffer a full-scale assault on the right to practise their faith and the

preservation of their culture.

Governments must take effective measures to implement legal and policy reforms to fully

protect, promote and guarantee freedom of religion or belief without discrimination.

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

Torture and other ill-treatment remained endemic, with its perpetrators overwhelmingly

enjoying impunity.

Independent UN experts condemned Russia9s <coordinated state policy of torturing

Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war=; survivors reported severe beatings, electric shocks,

sexual violence, sleep deprivation and mock executions. Exceptionally, the Council of Europe

publicly denounced Azerbaijan9s refusal to address long-standing concerns about widespread

torture and other ill-treatment by police. In Belarus, ûve of those jailed under politically

motivated charges died in 2024, while others endured incommunicado detention so prolonged

that it amounted to enforced disappearance. Most of the 400 people detained in Georgia

during protests in November and December reported mistreatment; scores were hospitalized

with serious injuries and many were denied medical care. In Tajikistan, the unfairly imprisoned

Pamiri human rights lawyer Manuchehr Kholiknazarov was among those whose health

seriously deteriorated and who was denied adequate medical treatment, while the authorities

ignored international calls for his release. In Kazakhstan, accountability remained elusive for

widespread allegations of torture by security forces during protests in January 2022.

Governments must act urgently to end torture and other ill-treatment, bringing all those

suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials.

UNFAIR TRIALS

In a rare positive development, 22 defendants in the so-called Kempir Abad case in Kyrgyzstan

were acquitted of politically motived charges. In a growing number of countries, however,

judicial systems were weaponized to persecute dissent. The number of cases of those

convicted in their absence grew.

Belarus targeted political opponents, human rights defenders and lawyers with lengthy

prison sentences: 20 exiled political analysts and journalists afûliated with opposition leader

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received 10 to 11-and-a half years9 imprisonment for crimes against

the state and <extremism=. In Russia convictions for treason and espionage rose signiûcantly.

In Georgia the authorities blatantly instrumentalized the justice system to crackdown on anti-

government protest, and courts routinely ignored evidence of torture. In Tajikistan members of

arbitrarily banned opposition groups faced imprisonment, while lawyers suffered severe

retaliation for their work.

Authorities must guarantee rights to a fair trial and refrain from abusing the justice

system to persecute dissent.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Protections for survivors of domestic violence were strengthened in Armenia and Kazakhstan.

Elsewhere, however, gender-based violence was on the rise. Ukrainian authorities reported an

80% increase in domestic violence cases compared to 2023. In Kyrgyzstan the number rose

52 Amnesty International Report

37% over the previous year. In Turkmenistan, amendments required courts to prioritize

reconciliation of spouses in cases of divorce, even if domestic violence was involved.

Governments must urgently combat all forms of gender-based violence and address their

root causes.

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

LGBTI people9s rights were in decline, in tune with a growing emphasis on <traditional values=.

Georgia adopted legislation on <family values and the protection of minors= containing

numerous homophobic and transphobic measures, seemingly adopting much of the blueprint

Russian <gay propaganda= legislation. Belarus updated its deûnition of pornography to include

<non-traditional sexual relations and/or sexual behaviour=. A petition for legislation to

criminalize <LGBTI propaganda= in Kazakhstan, however, caused such an outcry that hearings

on the proposed law were postponed.

Consensual sexual relations between men remained a crime in Turkmenistan and

Uzbekistan.

Governments should repeal laws, policies and practices that discriminate against LGBTI

people, including by decriminalizing consensual same-sex sexual relations.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

Children increasingly were deprived of adequate human development conditions. UNICEF

reported that 78% of Tajikistani children suffered food poverty, including 34% in severe

poverty. Half of the Kyrgyzstani population could not meet basic nutritional requirements, with

children disproportionately affected.

Children9s right to quality education was violated in Russia and Russian-occupied territories

of Ukraine, with the school curriculum including indoctrination lessons glorifying Russia9s war

against Ukraine. Russia also legislated to deny children of migrants enrolment in school unless

they passed a Russian-language test and were in Russia legally.

Governments must ensure the rights of everyone to an adequate standard of living, and

access to quality education.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

The rights of refugees and migrants continued to be eroded. Over 100,000 ethnic Armenians

displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia remained without the prospect of a safe and

digniûed return. In Kazakhstan, activists from Uzbekistan9s autonomous Karakalpakstan

Republic faced the threat of forcible return and the risk of torture and long prison terms.

Belarus9s authorities continued to force refugees and migrants across its borders with the EU.

Russian authorities engaged in anti-migrant rhetoric and Russian regions passed laws banning

migrants from working in certain occupations.

Governments must ensure all those üeeing persecution and human rights violations have
access to safety and international protection, and that no one is returned to a real risk of

serious human rights abuses.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Azerbaijan hosted COP29 and failed to advance regional and global climate justice. Its

authorities excluded Azerbaijani human rights defenders and activists from the summit,

persecuting them before and after the event, and creating a climate of self-censorship and

intense surveillance. Output of oil and gas continued to grow, while most countries failed to

demonstrate a commitment to either addressing climate change or reducing reliance on fossil

fuels.

Air pollution continued to blight human health and was worsened by continued burning of

fossil fuels. A World Bank study found that air pollution in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent,

Europe and Central Asia regional overview 53

accounted for around 3,000 premature deaths annually.

Advocates protesting harm caused by natural resource extraction in Armenia, Azerbaijan

and Georgia were silenced by authorities.

High-emitting countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia must take the lead in climate

mitigation, including by stopping the expansion of fossil fuel production and subsidies.

Governments must take immediate measures to protect individuals and communities

against the risks and impacts of climate change and extreme weather conditions.

WESTERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

û
Discrimination, pro ling, stigmatization and harassment based on identity including race,
religion, gender and sexuality were themes that permeated every aspect of human rights

protection and guarantees. Reports of hate crimes spiked.

Overly broad and vague counterterrorism laws were used to suppress freedom of

expression, association and assembly. Unnecessary or excessive force was used by police

against peaceful protesters, with some deprived of liberty for peaceful acts of civil

disobedience. Surveillance technologies were used extensively to chilling effect.

An arsenal of hostile, repressive laws was also deployed to deter and punish solidarity
with Palestinians or criticism of Israel9s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. The

commitment of governments across Europe to international law was tested and came up

û
short, with some of cials taking measures to shield the state of Israel from accountability.

Despite the International Court of Justice and UN experts demanding that countries stop all

arms transfers to Israel, some continued to export weapons and parts.

Control of borders took precedence over the rights of refugees and migrants. Torture and

other ill-treatment, particularly of migrants and people with disabilities, remained a

û
concern. Challenges persisted in accessing gender-af rmative care. Gender-based violence

remained widespread. Access to housing, social security and healthcare was eroded.

Disasters exacerbated by climate change wreaked havoc, particularly in southern European

states.

DISCRIMINATION

Discrimination remained a persistent concern. Women, Black, Arab, Roma and other racialized

people and groups, and people on low incomes, faced direct discrimination, affecting their

access to social security, political representation, employment and education. Anti-immigrant

and Islamophobic hate crimes surged after stabbings in Germany and the UK. France, among

other countries, saw a rise in antisemitic, Islamophobic and racist crimes. Portugal dismissed

most hate crime investigations.

Norway and Switzerland used discriminatory racial proûling. In Denmark, the Netherlands

and Sweden automated welfare systems led to discriminatory practices against women,

racialized people, and low-income individuals. France imposed discriminatory bans on sports

hijabs, including during the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic games.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in the Czech Republic and Greece, and bans on

conversion practices were pending in the UK. LGBTI people, however, continued to face

signiûcant challenges. Legal gender recognition remained difûcult in Bulgaria and Serbia, and

stalled in North Macedonia. Violence and discrimination persisted in Poland and Slovakia, with

Poland lacking speciûc hate crime legislation. Türkiye continued to unlawfully ban LGBTI pride

marches.

Despite local action plans for Roma integration in some countries, Roma faced

discrimination, segregation and social exclusion. Italy violated the European Social Charter

regarding the right to housing for Roma. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural

Rights highlighted structural racism in the treatment of Roma in Ireland and Serbia. Slovakia's

54 Amnesty International Report

segregation of Roma children led to a European Commission complaint, and segregation also

persisted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Roma in Croatia and

Roma refugees from Ukraine in Romania struggled to access essential services.

Governments should meaningfully address systemic discrimination including against

Jewish, Muslim, Black, Roma, LGBTI people and migrants.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

Various states adopted measures curtailing freedom of expression connected to solidarity with

Palestinians or voices critical of Israel9s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Germany

criminalized the slogan <from the river to the sea,= leading to convictions. The UK government

curtailed freedom of expression related to Palestine, while France investigated numerous

individuals for <apology for terrorism. Spain investigated Palestinian solidarity activists for

<gloriûcation of terrorism=.

While Spain approved an Action Plan on Democracy to reform legislation limiting freedom of

expression, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) were deployed in Bulgaria

and Serbia, a new authority in Hungary targeted civil society, and criminal prosecutions

continued against those who peacefully opposed the government in Türkiye.

The right to peaceful assembly came under severe attack as states increasingly stigmatized

and criminalized peaceful protesters, imposing unjustiûed and punitive restrictions and

resorting to ever more repressive means to stiüe dissent. People protesting against Israel9s

genocide against the Palestinian people were particularly targeted, as were those

demonstrating about climate change.

In positive moves, regulations in the UK enhancing police powers to restrict protests were

ruled unlawful and a court in Italy acquitted eight activists after recognizing their motive to take

climate action. Efforts continued, however, to ban climate-related and pro-Palestinian

demonstrations. Excessive restrictions were placed on such protests in France, and in Finland,

Germany and Italy there were reports of unnecessary or excessive force against people

participating in such demonstrations. Türkiye imposed blanket bans on protests. In the

Netherlands, drones and facial recognition technology were used against peaceful protesters.

Serbia, Greece and Türkiye saw excessive force by police and/or arbitrary arrests during

demonstrations.

The space for all to exercise the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly

must be protected from state overreach under various pretexts.

IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS

Several European states were complicit in irresponsible arms transfers, with the Czech

Republic, France and Germany continuing arms exports to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

However, civil society challenged arms transfers in Denmark and Montenegro; the Netherlands

halted the export of F-35 ûghter parts to Israel due to legal concerns; and Spain and Belgium

complied with calls by UN experts and the International Court of Justice to suspend arms

exports to Israel.

Governments should halt weapons transfers to countries where there is a substantial risk

of them being used to commit or facilitate serious human rights abuses.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION

Europe continued to grapple with its past colonial history and ensuring justice and reparations

for crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. A number of countries

signing the 2023 Ljubljana 3 The Hague Convention, which seeks to narrow the accountability

gap for such crimes. A court in Belgium recognized the state9s responsibility for crimes against

humanity during colonial rule in Congo, ordering reparations.

Europe and Central Asia regional overview 55

However, politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to publicly deny genocide and glorify

war criminals. Serbia made no credible efforts towards accountability for all crimes under

international law, focusing instead on weakening a UN resolution on the Srebrenica genocide.

In Croatia, most victims of wartime sexual violence remained unregistered for special status

beneûts. The UK faced legal challenges over the Northern Ireland Legacy Act, with courts

ûnding it incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ofûcials in some European countries openly stated or suggested that they would not

implement the ICC arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

and Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defence minister.

All allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide should be subject to

impartial and independent investigations, including through the principle of universal

jurisdiction.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

European countries and the EU failed to introduce policies and practices to prioritize protecting

the lives of refugees and migrants over the control of borders, take credible steps to deliver

accountability for violations, reduce dependence on third countries in the area of migration

management or expand safe and legal routes. Italy attempted to detain asylum seekers

rescued at sea in Albania, to have their claim examined outside of the country. The EU9s

cooperation with Egypt and Tunisia persisted despite evidence of human rights violations in

these countries. Reports continued of violence at borders and unlawful returns from Greece to

Türkiye, Cyprus to Lebanon and from Türkiye to Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

NGOs and human rights defenders remained the target of criminalization measures. In

Greece, defenders faced ongoing prosecution for assisting refugees and migrants. Three UN

experts raised concern about Italy9s restrictions on the activities of human rights defenders

rescuing lives at sea.

Refugees and migrants experienced a regression in their rights within their host country.

Ukrainian refugees in Hungary lost state support for housing, while Belgium and Ireland left

thousands of asylum seekers without accommodation.

Governments must ensure all those üeeing persecution and human rights violations have
access to safety and international protection, and that no one is returned to a real risk of

serious human rights abuses.

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

Torture and other ill-treatment of migrants and people with disabilities remained a concern.

Positive developments included Belgium establishing a federal preventive mechanism and

Hungary overturning a ban on physical contact between prisoners and visitors. Romania

adopted a ûve-year action plan to tackle ill-treatment in institutions. However, overcrowding

and inadequate healthcare persisted, for example in Albanian and Italian prisons, and

allegations of torture were reported in Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

Governments must act urgently to end torture and other ill-treatment, bringing

perpetrators to justice.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Several countries adopted legislative changes to address impunity for sexual violence. The

Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Poland introduced a consent-based deûnition of rape,

and Croatia made femicide a separate criminal offence.

Gender-based violence, however, remained widespread. Romania saw an increase in

reported incidents of domestic violence compared with previous years. Killings of women

mainly by partners and ex-partners continued at an alarmingly high level, including in Bulgaria,

Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye. Migrant women, sex

56 Amnesty International Report

workers and trans women faced systematic barriers when trying to ûle complaints of sexual

violence. In France, such obstacles included denial of the right to register a complaint and

threats of expulsion.

Governments should end impunity for all gender-based violence.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Some countries took positive steps to remove barriers to accessing abortion. France became

the ûrst country in the world to explicitly include abortion as a guaranteed freedom in its

constitution, and several countries backed measures to protect pregnant people from

harassment outside abortion clinics.

However, abortion remained largely criminalized and barriers in accessing abortion persisted

in many countries. Andorra continued to enforce a full abortion ban, in Poland abortion

remained severely restricted and in Malta, risk to the life of the pregnant person remained the

only legal exception allowing access to abortion. In England and Wales, there was an increase

in investigations and prosecutions of women accused of having an abortion outside the legal

framework.

Refusals to provide abortion care on grounds of conscience or religion remained a concern,

including in Croatia, Italy and Portugal. Abortion was particularly inaccessible in rural and

economically deprived areas in countries such as Croatia and Slovenia.

Governments must guarantee access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive

healthcare, including safe abortion.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

There were obstacles for people accessing social security. Women and people with disabilities

in Austria faced stigmatization, bureaucratic hurdles and restrictive legal provisions. In Finland,

signiûcant cuts to social security jeopardized an adequate standard of living for those already

on low incomes. In the UK the standard social security allowance was less than the cost of

common essentials.

The right to health was eroded in Italy and Spain owing to insufûcient public investment in

health infrastructure. In Greece, health workers and experts continued to report ongoing and

signiûcant gaps in the national health system.

Across the UK, 4.3 million children were living in poverty, with a disproportionate impact on

children from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, while in Italy 10% of the population was

living in absolute poverty.

Access to housing remained a signiûcant challenge. In Poland, a shortage of affordable

housing led to substandard living conditions. Andorra failed to prevent winter evictions and

Ireland saw record levels of homelessness.

Governments must take immediate action to guarantee all people9s economic and social

rights, free from discrimination, including by assigning adequate resources and ensuring

universal and comprehensive social protection.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Several countries faced disasters including üoods, wildûres and extreme heat exacerbated by

human-induced climate change. Spain saw torrential rains in October, causing üash üoods and

224 deaths. Record temperatures attributed to climate change caused deaths in Greece and

Portugal.

Europe and Central Asia regional overview 57

Despite limited positive outcomes, from Slovenia imposing stricter emissions limits, Croatia

planning for 75% renewable electricity by 2030, the growth of renewable energy in Hungary

and the cancellation of a mining permit in Montenegro over environmental concerns, many

countries lagged behind in climate policies. A landmark ruling by the European Court of

Human Rights (ECtHR) found Switzerland9s inadequate climate policies had violated the right

to effective protection from the serious adverse effects of climate change. Germany9s climate

plans were deemed legally insufûcient and Türkiye9s climate policies were rated critically

insufûcient. The Netherlands weakened its climate policies, Norway continued new exploration

for fossil fuels, Greece expanded gas infrastructure and Belgium spent EUR 15.5 billion on

fossil fuel subsidies. Collectively, European countries blocked agreement at COP29 on an

adequately scaled-up climate ûnance target.

Governments should speedily phase out the use and production of fossil fuel through a

just transition and end all fossil fuel ûnancing. They should also urgently scale up climate

ûnance and additional dedicated funding for loss and damage to lower-income countries.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY

While Montenegro suspended the use of facial recognition software, and a court in France

ruled that AI-powered audio surveillance systems were manifestly illegal, the unlawful use of

spyware and facial recognition technology remained a concern. Invasive digital forensic

techniques were used against activists and independent journalists by the authorities in Serbia.

In Germany, police used facial recognition technology without sufûcient legal basis. The ECtHR

ruled that Poland had breached the right to privacy through <secret surveillance= related to the

use of Pegasus spyware, and in Hungary a court found that the country9s data protection

watchdog had failed to effectively investigate a case of four individuals targeted by Pegasus.

Governments must stop the slide into creating surveillance societies.

58 Amnesty International Report

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

ü
Crisis, con ict and upheaval beset the Middle East and North Africa region in 2024. Israel9s

actions in Gaza took a catastrophic toll on civilians and amounted to genocide. Israel also

ü
escalated its armed con ict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. December9s sudden ousting of
President Bashar al-Assad in Syria exposed the consequences of decades of impunity for

human rights violations in a region plagued by ongoing repression and a rise in authoritarian

practices in multiple countries.

û
Israel9s relentless military offensive on the occupied Gaza Strip intensi ed the long-

standing humanitarian crisis caused by Israel9s 18-year unlawful blockade of Gaza. It left

most of the Palestinians there displaced, homeless, hungry, at risk of life-threatening

diseases and unable to access medical care, power or clean water.

ü
Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen were drawn into the con ict. For the ûrst time, Iran
and Israel openly launched direct attacks on each other9s territories. In September, cross-

border hostilities between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah escalated into intense

military confrontations. Israel attacked areas across Lebanon, with a devastating effect on

civilians.

While millions of people worldwide protested against Israel9s actions in Gaza, throughout

2024 the world9s governments 3 individually and multilaterally 3 failed repeatedly to take
û
meaningful action to end the atrocities and were slow even in calling for a cease re.

Meanwhile, Israel9s system of apartheid became increasingly violent in the occupied West

Bank, marked by a sharp increase in unlawful killings and state-backed attacks by Israeli

settlers on Palestinian civilians.

ü
The effects of other long-standing con icts in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen continued to

blight the lives of millions, particularly people from marginalized communities, many of

whom were denied their rights to food, water, adequate housing, healthcare and security.
International justice mechanisms took important steps towards accountability in Israel

and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Libya. But Israel9s allies and other

powerful actors attacked or dismissed these accountability measures, shielding perpetrators

from justice and further laying bare double standards and the failure of the rules-based

global order.

Governments and non-state armed actors across the region continued to repress dissent.

Authorities detained, tortured and unjustly prosecuted dissidents and critics, punishing
them with harsh sentences, including the death penalty. Among those targeted were

journalists, online commentators, political and trade union activists, people expressing

solidarity with Palestinians, and human rights defenders. In some countries, security forces

used unlawful and even lethal force, alongside enforced disappearances and mass arbitrary

arrests, to suppress protests. Virtually all perpetrators of these crimes enjoyed impunity.

Discrimination remained rife region-wide on the basis of gender, race, nationality, legal

status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion and class.
The major fossil fuel-producing states failed to take steps to address climate change,

even as the region continued to suffer the harmful, often life-threatening, consequences of

the climate crisis, including extreme weather events and slower onset catastrophes such as

increasing water scarcity.

Middle East and North Africa regional overview 59

ARMED CONFLICTS
ISRAEL9S OFFENSIVE IN GAZA

By the end of 2024, 14 months after deadly attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed

groups in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel9s unremitting military assault on the Gaza

Strip had killed at least 45,500 people and injured at least 108,300. Many Palestinians were

yet to ûnd their loved ones9 remains in the rubble.

Throughout the year, Amnesty International documented multiple war crimes by Israel,

including direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and indiscriminate and

disproportionate attacks, often destroying entire multigenerational families.

In an attempt to create a buffer zone along Gaza9s eastern perimeter, Israeli forces using

bulldozers and manually laid explosives, systematically destroyed agricultural land and civilian

buildings, razing entire neighbourhoods, including homes, schools and mosques.

Israel9s actions forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, 90% of Gaza9s population, and

deliberately engineered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

Amnesty International9s research found that Israel committed acts prohibited under the

Genocide Convention with the speciûc intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, thus committing

genocide. These acts included killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm to civilians and

deliberately inüicting conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.

Israel repeatedly denied, obstructed and failed to allow and facilitate meaningful

humanitarian access into and around Gaza. Israeli forces conducted a large-scale invasion of

the southern city of Rafah in May. The government ignored warnings from the international

community, including Israel9s own allies, as well as legally binding orders of the International

Court of Justice (ICJ), not to attack Rafah because of the devastating effect it would have on

the civilian population.

Israel issued waves of <evacuation= orders, squeezing Gaza9s population into small, densely

populated areas that lacked life-sustaining infrastructure, healthcare and food. As a result,

most Palestinians in Gaza were facing extreme hunger and rapidly spreading disease. Israeli air

strikes frequently hit civilians who were following <evacuation= orders, including after they

arrived in areas that Israel promised would be safe.

Israel also continued to arbitrarily detain and, in some cases, forcibly disappear Palestinians

from Gaza. They were routinely transferred into Israel and held there incommunicado, without

charge or trial, and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment.

The presence of Palestinian armed groups in or near civilian areas in Gaza, including camps

for internally displaced people, endangered civilian lives and likely violated their obligation

under international law to avoid, to the extent feasible, locating ûghters in densely populated

areas. They continued to hold civilians 3 Israelis and foreign nationals 3 hostage, a violation of

international humanitarian law that constitutes a war crime.

Israel9s decades-long system of apartheid against Palestinians continued. Attacks by Israeli

settlers in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian civilians and their property rose sharply.

These attacks, which had the backing of the Israeli state, along with extensive land seizure,

home demolitions and unlawful use of force, constituted the crimes against humanity of

forcible transfer and apartheid.

The international community failed to act meaningfully to end Israel9s atrocities in Gaza.

Powerful nations, including the USA and many western European states, publicly backed

Israel9s actions, undermining the universal value of international law. For months the UN

Security Council took no effective action and only called for a ceaseûre in March.

On 26 January the ICJ issued its ûrst provisional measures in the case brought by South

Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention. This was followed by two further orders

on 28 March and 24 May. Israel deûed the Court9s orders. Nevertheless, some states

continued to arm Israel with weapons used to violate international law, despite being warned

60 Amnesty International Report

that this was in violation of their obligation to prevent genocide and risked their complicity in

genocide and war crimes.

On 21 November the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against

Israel9s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former defence minister, Yoav Gallant and, in

Palestine, Al-Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif on charges of war crimes and

crimes against humanity.

Throughout the year, sustained protests and demonstrations against Israel9s actions in Gaza

involved millions of people worldwide and were met by severe restrictions on freedom of

expression and assembly in many countries.

OTHER ARMED CONFLICTS

Israel9s attacks on Gaza led to armed hostilities and attacks in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and

Yemen, some of which included US and UK forces.

After nearly a year of sporadic cross-border attacks, on 23 September Israel launched a new

military offensive in Lebanon. An estimated 4,047 people were killed, more than 16,600

injured and 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon between 8 October 2023 and the end of 2024.

Israeli forces attacked homes, farmland, schools, churches, mosques and hospitals, including

in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. They also razed more than 20 villages, with Israeli soldiers

using explosives, bulldozers and excavators to destroy civilian buildings long after gaining

control of the areas. The armed group Hezbollah ûred hundreds of rockets from Lebanon at

northern Israel during the year, killing more than 100 people.

Huthi armed forces based in Yemen killed civilian seafarers when they attacked dozens of

vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, alleging the vessels were linked to

Israel, the USA and UK. In response, US armed forces carried out naval and air strikes, some

jointly with UK forces, against Huthi targets. The Huthis carried out missile and drone attacks

against Israel on at least 48 occasions, killing one civilian. In retaliation, on 20 July Israel

bombed Hodeidah port, critical for delivering humanitarian aid to Yemen, and Ras Kathnib

power station, killing at least six civilians. On 29 September, Israel bombed the ports of

Hodeidah and Ras Issa, as well as al-Hali and Ras Kathnib power stations, in Hodeidah

governorate, reportedly killing ûve civilians and injuring others.

In April, Iran launched more than 300 munitions at Israel in retaliation for a strike on Iran9s

consulate in Syria which killed seven members of Iran9s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. In

October, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of Hamas

leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The same month, Israel carried

out strikes on 20 targets inside Iran, killing one civilian and four military personnel.

Israel increased its military operations in Syria in the context of the conüicts in Gaza and

Lebanon. In December, following the overthrow of President Assad in Syria, Israeli forces

moved troops into the UN-deûned demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights,

signalled an expansion of illegal Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights, and carried out

hundreds of air strikes in Syria.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of armed factions under the Popular Mobilization

Units, intensiûed its operations against Israel in response to Israel9s attacks on Gaza and

Lebanon, carrying out attacks which the group said targeted military sites and infrastructure in

Israel and the Golan Heights.

Elsewhere in the region, long-standing armed conüicts and their aftermath continued to

devastate the lives of millions of people, with parties to the conüicts 3 some backed by foreign

governments 3 committing war crimes and other serious violations of international

humanitarian law.

Middle East and North Africa regional overview 61

In Syria, parties to the long-standing armed conüict and their allies continued to conduct

unlawful attacks, killing and injuring scores of civilians and destroying vital infrastructure. In the

ûrst half of the year, President Assad9s government, supported by Russia, escalated attacks on

north-western Syria under the control of armed opposition groups. Türkiye repeatedly launched

military attacks on cities and villages in north-eastern Syria, in its continuing war on Kurdish

groups based there, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to vital civilian infrastructure.

On 8 December, opposition forces ousted Syria9s President Assad, ending his family9s ûve

decades of brutal and repressive rule marked by widespread human rights violations

amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sporadic armed clashes took place in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, other parts of western Libya

and southern Libya between militias and armed groups vying for control of resources or

political inüuence, leading to civilian casualties and damage to civilian objects.

ü
All parties to armed con icts must respect international humanitarian law, in particular

ending direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and indiscriminate attacks.
Foreign governments must stop transfers of weapons where there is an overriding risk of

their use to commit or facilitate serious violations of human rights or international

humanitarian law.

REPRESSION OF DISSENT
Authorities across the region continued to violate the right of people to express critical or

dissenting views, including online, whether about their human rights records, economic

policies, or in response to the conüict in Gaza or social issues. Some governments used

unfounded terrorism-related charges or charges of spreading <false news= to silence opposition

voices and to inüict harsh punishments on their critics.

In Iran, authorities subjected protesters, women defying compulsory veiling laws, journalists,

artists, writers, academics, university students, LGBTI individuals, members of ethnic and

religious minorities, and human rights defenders to a range of violations, including arbitrary

detention, summons for coercive interrogations, and unjust prosecution leading to sentences of

death, imprisonment, ûnes and/or üogging for peacefully exercising their human rights.

Hundreds of people in Jordan were charged under the repressive Cybercrimes Law for

criticizing the authorities, expressing solidarity with Palestinians, or calling for peaceful protests

and public strikes. The Jordanian authorities routinely violated the fair trial rights of people

arrested for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

Saudi Arabia continued to arbitrarily detain individuals for their real or alleged views without

giving them any opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of their detention. In many cases,

these individuals were then sentenced to lengthy prison terms or the death penalty on vague,

<catch-all= charges that criminalize the expression of peaceful opposition as <terrorism=, in

violation of fair trial rights.

Across North Africa, repression of dissent continued or escalated. Tunisian authorities

intensiûed their crackdown on freedom of expression and all forms of dissent, using repressive

laws and unfounded charges to arbitrarily detain high-proûle members of the political

opposition, journalists, social media users, human rights defenders, lawyers and critics. Egypt9s

targeting of journalists, peaceful protesters, dissidents, opposition politicians and government

critics continued unabated. In Morocco and Western Sahara, Moroccan authorities targeted

journalists, activists and government critics, despite a royal pardon for thousands of prisoners.

Algeria cracked down on freedom of expression and the press, peaceful assembly and

association, including by frequently using fabricated terrorism-related charges to stop peaceful

dissent. In Libya, militias and armed groups arbitrarily arrested and detained hundreds of

62 Amnesty International Report

activists, protesters, journalists and online content creators simply for exercising their rights to

freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Governments must respect the rights to freedom of expression and association, including

by ensuring that journalists, human rights defenders and activists can enjoy these rights

without harassment, violence and prosecution, and releasing those detained for exercising

these rights.

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

In almost every country in the region, governments used various tactics to prevent or forcibly

disperse peaceful protests.

Egyptian authorities carried out mass arrests before planned protests and violently dispersed

the few small protests that took place. On 23 April, for instance, they violently broke up a small

protest by women human rights defenders and others showing solidarity with women in

Palestine and Sudan. Authorities in Iraq frequently used force, including ûring live ammunition,

to disperse protests driven by widespread frustration over government corruption, economic

hardship and poor public services.

Tunisia9s authorities repeatedly used baseless and vague <obstruction= charges to arbitrarily

detain, prosecute and convict individuals simply for joining peaceful protests. Jordanian forces

arrested thousands of protesters and bystanders linked to huge protests in support of

Palestinians in Gaza between October 2023 and October 2024, with many remaining in

detention at the end of 2024. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities maintained their

repression of peaceful assembly and conducted mass trials of peaceful protesters and other

dissidents.

Governments must respect the right to peaceful assembly and end their crack-downs on
peaceful protesters.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

People across the region faced multiple, ongoing crises, including devastating conüicts, severe

economic and debt shocks, and the increasing toll of the climate emergency. Rising inüation,

government failings and other factors 3 local, regional and international 3 put intense pressure

on the cost of living, including in some of the poorest and most populous countries in the

region. This left millions of people food insecure and struggling to survive, and undermined

their rights to health, water and an adequate standard of living.

In Lebanon the long-standing ûnancial and economic crisis, which the government helped to

cause and prolong, continued. The government failed dismally to introduce the necessary

reforms to protect people9s economic and social rights, including their right to social security.

The crisis had a devastating effect on marginalized groups, including, for example, by putting

adequate healthcare even further out of reach for many older people, those with disabilities,

informal workers, and refugees, and was exacerbated by the destruction caused by Israel in its

war with Hezbollah.

Economic crisis also severely affected people9s social and economic rights in Egypt, amid

the government9s failure to meet its budgetary obligations for spending on health and

education. A new law privatizing healthcare jeopardized access to health services, particularly

for those living in poverty. The authorities used threats and arrests to repress workers

demanding the minimum wage and residents protesting against forced eviction.

In many countries, governments failed to protect low-paid workers from labour abuses and

denied workers the right to join and form independent trade unions and to strike without fear of

punishment. In the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, low-paid migrant

workers continued to face extreme exploitation, discrimination, grossly inadequate housing,

Middle East and North Africa regional overview 63

physical and mental abuses, wage theft by their employers, limited access to healthcare, and

summary dismissal. Worst affected were domestic workers, most of them women.

Governments must take urgent action to uphold people9s economic and social rights,

including by establishing universal social protection systems that enable everyone,

including marginalized groups, to access an adequate standard of living, including food,

water and healthcare. Donor governments and international ûnancial institutions must
urgently work to support governments in achieving this goal. Governments must also protect
the right of workers to join and form independent trade unions and to strike, while

extending labour law protections to all migrant workers, including domestic workers.

DISCRIMINATION
WOMEN AND GIRLS

Across the region, women and girls continued to face discrimination in law and practice,

including in relation to the rights to freedom of movement, expression, bodily autonomy,

inheritance, divorce, political ofûce and employment opportunities. Gender-based violence

online and ofüine remained common and was committed with impunity. In some countries,

such violence increased while protections for women became weaker.

Laws in Algeria and Iraq allowed rapists to escape prosecution by marrying their victim.

In Yemen the Huthi de facto authorities and armed groups continued to restrict women9s

movement and ban them from travelling without the accompaniment or written approval of a

male guardian.

Despite some positive steps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, authorities continued to fail to

hold perpetrators of domestic violence to account and imposed arbitrary restrictions on the

freedoms of survivors who sought protection in the woefully underfunded shelter system.

Lawmakers also attempted to pass amendments to the personal status law that would

signiûcantly undermine protections for women and girls.

In Iran, authorities intensiûed their crackdown on women and girls who defy compulsory

veiling, including through digital surveillance such as facial recognition technology. Increased

security patrols harassed and attacked women and girls in public spaces.

Militias and armed groups in Libya targeted women inüuencers and content creators for the

way they expressed themselves and their dress. In November the Tripoli-based Government of

National Unity announced plans to introduce compulsory veiling for women and enforce it

through <morality police=.

LGBTI PEOPLE

Across the region, people were arrested and prosecuted for their sexual orientation or gender

identity. Many were given harsh sentences when convicted of consensual same-sex sexual

relations. Attacks on the rights of LGBTI people intensiûed in Iraq, Libya and Tunisia.

In Libya, the Internal Security Agency militia in the capital, Tripoli, and other militias and

armed groups arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted individuals for their actual or perceived

sexual orientation and/or gender identity and broadcast their torture-tainted <confessions=. In

Tunisia, LGBTI groups reported an increase in prosecutions for <homosexuality charges=.

In April, Iraq criminalized same-sex sexual relations for the ûrst time, punishable with up to

15 years9 imprisonment. The new law also penalizes actions such as <promoting= same-sex

relations or transgender expression and adds vague charges such as <acting effeminate=.

ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

Across the region, members of national, ethnic and religious communities and minorities faced

embedded discrimination in law and practice, including in relation to their rights to worship

and to live free from persecution and other serious human rights abuses.

64 Amnesty International Report

Israel further entrenched its system of apartheid through oppression and domination over

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. It systematically committed a wide range of human

rights violations, including forcible transfers, administrative detention, torture, unlawful killings,

denial of basic rights and freedoms, and persecution.

In Iran, ethnic minorities including Ahwazi Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, Baluchis, Kurds and

Turkmen faced discrimination which restricted their access to education, employment,

adequate housing and political ofûce. Members of the Baha9i religious minority were subjected

to widespread and systematic violations.

Governments must end discrimination based on race, national origin, ethnicity, religion,

gender, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. They must implement legal

and policy reforms to grant equal rights for all without discrimination and to protect,

promote and guarantee the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.

RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE, MIGRANTS AND

REFUGEES
Protracted conüicts left vast numbers of internally displaced people struggling to survive in

Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen. Most faced discrimination by

authorities, barriers to accessing services, blocks on their right to return home or reprisals if

they tried to return without authorization, as well as restrictions on and cuts to vital

humanitarian aid.

Approximately 1.1 million Iraqis remained internally displaced, many struggling to access

essential needs and services such as housing, water and healthcare. Iraqi security forces

subjected some to arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance and torture, including electric

shocks and waterboarding, for perceived afûliation to the Islamic State armed group.

In Syria, the number of internally displaced people reached 7.2 million, according to

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Following President Assad9s ousting in December, the

humanitarian and security situation remained bleak and uncertain. Nevertheless, many

European countries announced they would consider or enact a suspension of pending asylum

applications by Syrians.

The rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants were violated across the region, with

government failings coupled with the failure of the international community, namely wealthier

countries, to share responsibility through providing adequate resettlement places and

humanitarian assistance. In Lebanon, around 90% of the country9s estimated 1.5 million Syrian

refugees were living in extreme poverty and unable to access adequate food, housing,

education and healthcare. A disturbing rise in anti-refugee rhetoric, in some cases fuelled by

local authorities and politicians, intensiûed the hostile environment. Meanwhile, many refugees

and asylum seekers in neighbouring Jordan, which hosted 2 million Palestinian and

approximately 750,000 other refugees, including Syrians, faced poverty and deteriorating

conditions.

Tunisia9s routine and collective expulsions of migrants and refugees to Algeria and Libya

continued to violate the principle of non-refoulement and left people in deserted or remote

border areas without food or water. From May, authorities cracked down on organizations

defending refugees9 and migrants9 rights, reducing their access to essential services.

Refugees and migrants in Libya, including those intercepted at sea by armed groups and

EU-backed coastguards and forcibly returned to Libya, were subjected to indeûnite arbitrary

detention, torture and other ill-treatment, extortion, forced labour and unlawful expulsions.

Egyptian authorities arbitrarily detained and forcibly returned thousands of Sudanese

nationals, despite Sudan9s raging armed conüict, in üagrant violation of international law.

Middle East and North Africa regional overview 65

Governments must end the arbitrary detention of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants on

the basis of their migration status and protect them from torture and other ill-treatment in

detention, refoulement and mass or collective expulsions. Governments must take concrete

û
steps to ensure the voluntary, safe and digni ed return of internally displaced people to

their areas of origin.

DEATH PENALTY
Most states in the region retained the death penalty and imposed death sentences in 2024,

including for offences not involving intentional killing, for acts protected under international law

such as consensual same-sex sexual relations and apostasy, and for bogus or overly broad

charges brought to silence dissent. Several countries executed people. In Iraq, mass

executions were carried out without lawyers and relatives being informed in advance. Iran9s

execution spree continued as authorities used the death penalty as a tool of political

repression.

û
Governments must immediately establish an of cial moratorium on executions with a

view to abolishing the death penalty.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

The region continued to suffer the harmful, often life-threatening, consequences of climate

change, including extreme weather events, slower onset catastrophes such as increasing and

extreme water scarcity, and other environmental mismanagement. Governments failed to take

adequate steps to stop climate change, mitigate its impacts or provide adequate support to

those most affected.

Iraq suffered severe water shortages and increasing air and water pollution. Ineffective waste

management and deforestation intensiûed dust storms and waterborne diseases,

disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, particularly displaced persons. Jordan also

suffered water shortages, with supply only meeting around two-thirds of demand.

Extreme heat blighted Kuwait, with record temperatures in late May being 4°C to 5°C above

past averages. Yet, in March, the CEO of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation

announced that Kuwait would signiûcantly increase oil production by 2035, and announced

further increases when new reserves were discovered in July.

Other countries failed to make progress towards necessary fossil fuel phase out. In February,

Bahrain sought a loan to expand fossil fuel extraction by creating 400 new oil wells and 30 gas

wells. A report in June by Global Witness conûrmed that the UAE9s COP28 team had pursued

fossil fuel deals for the state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company while hosting

the climate conference in 2023. Also in June, Saudi Arabia9s energy minister announced plans

to increase oil production between 2025 and 2027.

Governments must urgently take steps to mitigate the climate crisis, including by curbing

carbon emissions and ending the extraction and use of fossil fuels. All states with the

û
necessary resources should signi cantly increase funding to countries in need of assistance
for human rights-consistent mitigation and adaptation measures.

IMPUNITY
Across the region, states continued to facilitate impunity for perpetrators of serious human

rights violations, highlighting the failings of deeply üawed domestic judicial systems.

Decades of long-standing impunity for recurrent war crimes and egregious human rights

violations by Israel against Palestinians in the context of apartheid and unlawful occupation

prevailed.

66 Amnesty International Report

Moroccan authorities failed to provide victims9 families with truth, justice and reparations after a

deadly crackdown by Moroccan and Spanish security forces against sub-Saharan African

migrants attempting to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla in

2022.

In Iran, impunity prevailed for unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture and other

ill-treatment including rape and other forms of sexual violence, and other crimes under

international law or grave human rights violations committed in 2024 and previous years.

In October the ICC announced arrest warrants against six leaders, senior members and

afûliates of the al-Kaniat armed group for the war crimes of murder, torture, enforced

disappearances and other inhumane acts in Tarhouna, Libya, which the group controlled until

June 2020.

European countries continued to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of

committing crimes under international law in Syria through their national courts under the

principle of universal jurisdiction.

Governments must combat impunity by undertaking thorough, independent, impartial,

effective and transparent investigations into human rights violations and crimes under

international law and bringing suspected perpetrators to justice in fair trials in civilian

courts.

Middle East and North Africa regional overview 67

68 Amnesty International Report
 THE STATE OF

THE WORLD'S

HUMAN RIGHTS
A-Z COUNTRY ENTRIES
 and Ghor claimed nearly 350 lives, destroyed

AFGHANISTAN or damaged more than 7,800 homes and

displaced more than 5,000 families. Thirty-

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan two out of 34 provinces were affected by

üash üoods, which UNICEF claimed were

The people of Afghanistan experienced <hallmarks of the intensifying climate crisis=.

worsening levels of human rights violations

under the de facto Taliban authorities. WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

Women and girls faced the crime against The Taliban continued expanding their

humanity of gender persecution and were draconian restrictions on women and girls. In

increasingly deprived of their rights to May, they announced salary cuts for women

freedom of movement and freedom of who had been banned from working for the

expression. Access to healthcare remained state but remained on the payroll, reducing

û
dif cult, and education for women and girls their pay to AFN 5,000 (USD 70) per month.

beyond primary school remained banned. Mid-year, the Taliban promulgated a <vice

The Shia-Hazara community continued to and virtue law= banning women9s voices from

face targeted attacks and killings, primarily being heard in public and preventing women

by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province without mahram (male chaperones) from
(IS-KP). The Taliban continued to using transport. Under this repressive law,

marginalize women as well as ethnic and the Taliban <morality inspectors= (police)

religious groups from political participation, were empowered to threaten and detain

access to public services and humanitarian individuals who violate their morality code

assistance. and bring them before the Taliban9s courts for

The Taliban9s arbitrary arrests, forcible prosecution.

disappearances, torture and other ill- Severe restrictions remained in place 3

treatment and extrajudicial executions of despite the April 2023 UN Security Council

former government employees, human resolution calling for their swift reversal 3 and

rights defenders, journalists and critical continued to impact all aspects of women9s

voices continued. The Taliban continued to and girls9 lives. Women and girls remained

attack and arrest journalists and restricted banned from attending education beyond

media freedom. Hundreds of prisoners were primary school (grade six). In December, it

reportedly sentenced to death. was additionally reported that the Taliban

The UN and the international community banned women and girls from attending

failed to address impunity for ongoing and medical education. They remained banned

past atrocities. Despite a deepening from participating in sporting activities,

humanitarian and human rights crisis, visiting parks and public baths, and travelling

Afghan refugees were forcibly returned to more than 72km or appearing in public

Afghanistan in large groups. without mahram.

The Taliban9s draconian restrictions further

BACKGROUND decimated women9s ûnancial independence,

The Taliban continued to be in de facto plunging women-headed households deep

control since the then-government collapsed into poverty and creating difûculties for

in August 2021 amid the withdrawal of US women running home-based businesses.

and NATO forces. The Taliban annulled the Bans remained on women working in the

constitution and laws that existed prior to public sector, except in areas such as

their takeover. Many Taliban leaders faced primary education, healthcare and certain

travel bans as they are sanctioned by the UN security institutions. The Taliban9s decision

Security Council. banning women from working with UN

In June the UN reported that üash üoods agencies and NGOs remained unchanged.

in the provinces of Baghlan, Badakhshan Due to restrictions on freedom of peaceful

assembly, Afghan Witness, an independent

70 Amnesty International Report

research team, reported that 94% of all Rapporteur and acknowledged serious

women9s protests <took place indoors=. accountability gaps. However, it failed to

establish an independent international

Gender-based violence accountability mechanism to investigate and

In August the UN Special Rapporteur on the to collect and preserve evidence of ongoing

situation of human rights in Afghanistan and past crimes under international law and

reported cases of women detainees being other serious human rights violations. Ninety

sexually abused and assaulted by the national and international human rights

Taliban. Similarly, Afghan Witness and the organizations, including Amnesty

media reported that the Taliban initiated a International, had called for such a

campaign in January to arrest women and mechanism to address the cycle of impunity
4
girls for non-compliance with mandatory in the country. In August a group of UN

hijab rules. This resulted in the arrest and Special Procedures mandate holders

detention of dozens of women and girls highlighted that an avenue for access to

during the year, <with many reporting justice was <virtually non-existent= in

degrading treatments, torture, and even Afghanistan.

rape=. The ICC investigation of the situation in the

There were continued reports of a sharp country remained slow and limited in scope.

increase in gender-based violence as well as It excluded members of US and other

forced and early marriage. Between January international forces involved in the conüict

2022 and June 2024, Afghan Witness before 2021, as well as members of the
5
recorded 840 incidents of gender-based former Afghan government.

violence against women and girls, including

332 killings, based on their monitoring of UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

open-source information. Impunity continued Shia-Hazaras were systematically targeted in

as the institutions and legal framework attacks and killings at their places of worship,

designed to address gender-based violence education and civilian locations across the

remained dismantled by the Taliban. country. The Islamic State of Khorasan

In June, Amnesty International joined calls Province (IS-KP) claimed responsibility for

led by Afghan women human rights most of these attacks. The UN Assistance

defenders to recognize gender apartheid as a Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

1
crime under international law. However, documented several attacks in a Hazara-

Afghan women human rights defenders were dominated area, west of the capital, Kabul

excluded from the third UN-convened between January and March. In September,

meeting on Afghanistan in Qatar on 30 June 14 Hazara travellers were unlawfully killed in

2
and 1 July. central Afghanistan.

In September, Germany, Australia, Canada IS-KP suicide attacks also targeted

and the Netherlands announced legal action members of the Taliban de facto authorities,

before the International Court of Justice causing civilian casualties. Civilians

against the state of Afghanistan for violations continued to be harmed by landmines and

of CEDAW by the Taliban de facto other explosive remnants from the previous
3
authorities. conüict. UNAMA reported civilian injuries

and deaths in March, resulting from aerial

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND strikes by the Pakistan army and ground

REPARATION engagement between the Taliban and

The Taliban announced in August that they Pakistan's military forces along the border.

would no longer allow the UN Special

Rapporteur on Afghanistan to enter the ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES, ARBITRARY

country. In September the UN Human Rights ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

Council9s resolution on Afghanistan extended As of June, 20,000 people, including 1,500

the vital mandate of the UN Special women, were reportedly imprisoned under

Afghanistan 71
the Taliban. <running away= 3 which disproportionately

The Taliban continued using arbitrary affected women and girls 3 and pederasty.

arrests, enforced disappearances and UNAMA also documented at least 1,033

unlawful detention against people perceived instances of unlawful use of force (205 on

as political opponents. These included former women and girls and 828 on men and boys)

government employees, religious scholars by members of the MPVPV between August

who criticized the Taliban9s policies, civil 2021 and March 2024.

society activists and human rights defenders

and many journalists. For example, the DEATH PENALTY

Afghan human rights organization Rawadari The Taliban continued to carry out public

recorded 614 cases of arbitrary detention in executions of individuals who had been

the ûrst six months of the year. The sentenced to death by their courts, despite

organization further reported that it had serious concerns regarding compliance with
6
documented 35 cases of enforced fair trial rights. UNAMA reported that three

disappearance from nine of the country9s 34 men were publicly executed in February and

provinces in the same period. one man in November. In July, reports further

In August the Taliban Ministry for the indicated that between 300 and 600

Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prisoners were sentenced to death by the

(MPVPV, also known as the morality Taliban courts. In March, media reported that

inspectors or police) announced that they the Taliban may resume <stoning to death= as

had detained 13,000 people over the past punishment for <adultery=.

year for violating their morality rules. Ahmad

Fahim Azimi, an education rights activist, was FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

released in September after 11 months9 The Taliban relentlessly suppressed freedom

imprisonment, following arbitrary arrest and of expression by banning media outlets from

an unfair trial in which he was accused of operating and restricting their programming.

organizing protests and <inciting women to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked

protest=. Afghanistan among the three worst countries

for media freedom in 2024. In April, at least

EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS, TORTURE two local private TV stations (Noor and Barya)

AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT were suspended for criticizing the Taliban. In

Detainees, including members of the former May, RSF raised concerns that journalists

government and those critical of the Taliban, and analysts were prohibited from working for

remained at risk of torture and other ill- and collaborating with Afghanistan

treatment and extrajudicial executions. International, a popular TV news channel

UNAMA recorded at least 98 cases of operating outside the country.

arbitrary arrest and detention of former The Taliban also reportedly introduced

government employees between January and restrictions on live political talk shows,

June, including 20 incidents involving torture including limitations on who could participate

and other ill-treatment and nine incidents of in interviews and what they could say. In

unlawful killings. October, media reported that the Taliban in

The Taliban9s use of public corporal Takhar province had banned ûlming and

punishment, amounting to torture and other broadcasting <living things=, as it is against

ill-treatment, continued across the country. their vice and virtue law. In November,

UNAMA reported punishments taking place UNAMA reported the use of arbitrary arrest,

in at least one province each week. From torture and other ill-treatment, and threats

April to June, UNAMA recorded 179 and intimidation against 336 journalists and

individuals (147 men, 28 women and four media workers between August 2021 and

boys) sentenced to corporal punishments. September 2024.

Accusations included <adultery= and

72 Amnesty International Report

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF Taliban restrictions. Meanwhile, countries in

The Taliban9s restrictions on Shia the region, including Iran, Pakistan and

jurisprudence being taught in the education Türkiye, continued to forcibly return

system remained in place. The Taliban hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees.

promulgated decrees and laws which These added to the 1.1 to 1.3 million who the

instituted religious discrimination and IOM reported had already been returned in

implemented monolithic religious doctrine. 2023. Some European countries also

There were reports of the Taliban forcing returned Afghan refugees back to the

members of the Shia Islamic community to country.

convert their religious sect to the Sunni

faction of Islam. The Taliban restrictions on LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

the Ashura commemoration, which is mainly LGBTI people continued to face

observed by Shia communities, continued. discrimination and other human rights

Additionally, the Taliban called Nawroz (solar violations, including threats and arbitrary

new year celebrations) <un-Islamic=. detention. Same-sex consensual relations

remained illegal and punishable by death.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

Poverty, which was exacerbated after the

Taliban takeover in 2021, deepened in 1. <Global: Gender apartheid must be recognized as a crime under

response to extreme weather events and international law=, 17 June ±

ongoing internal displacement and economic 2. <Global: UN-hosted Doha meeting on Afghanistan faces a

crisis. UNDP reported that about 85% of credibility test=, 21 June ±

Afghans lived on less than one dollar a day. 3. <Afghanistan: International legal initiative an important step

According to the UN Ofûce for the toward tackling the Taliban9s war on women=, 26 September ±

Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 23.7 4. <Afghanistan: Meaningful action needed at UN Human Rights

million people, more half the country9s Council to advance accountability for past and ongoing crimes

population, needed humanitarian assistance. under international law in Afghanistan=, 26 September ±

Of those, 12 million people were food 5. Afghanistan: Amnesty International Calls for the Urgent

insecure, while 2.9 million experienced Establishment of an Independent International Accountability

emergency levels of hunger. UNICEF Mechanism for Afghanistan, 18 September ±

estimated that 2.9 million children faced 6. <Afghanistan: Taliban must halt all executions and abolish death

acute malnutrition in 2024, with 850,000 penalty=, 23 February ±

experiencing life-threatening malnutrition.

The humanitarian assistance programme

remained severely underfunded. ALBANIA

Rawadari reported that the Taliban

intentionally deprived marginalized religious Republic of Albania

and ethnic groups of humanitarian and

development assistance, as well as access to

Cancer patients were denied access to free
essential services and government jobs. healthcare in the Mother Teresa Hospital in
The International Organization for Tirana. Widespread domestic violence
Migration (IOM) warned of <a near-collapse of against women and girls continued. People
the national public health system=, with the in prisons experienced overcrowding and
EU warning that <basic health services are
inadequate healthcare. Threats to press
available to just 10% of women=. UNAMA
freedom persisted. Concerns over refugees9
warned that restrictions on access to
rights were raised by the approval of an
contraception violated women and girls9 right agreement with Italy regarding detention
to sexual and reproductive health. centres for asylum seekers rescued at sea.
People continued to üee the country in

large numbers, both due to the worsening

humanitarian crises and the draconian

Albania 73
RIGHT TO HEALTH continued to face intimidation from both

Several patients needing cancer treatment politicians and organized crime.

were transferred by doctors from the state

Mother Teresa Hospital in the capital, Tirana REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

to their private, fee-charging clinics. The In January, the Constitutional Court gave the

doctors were suspended and investigations green light for parliament to ratify an

were ongoing. The UN Committee on agreement with Italy regarding the

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights construction of two detention centres in

highlighted concerns about inadequacies in Albania to hold asylum seekers rescued by

healthcare infrastructure, shortage of Italian state ships, despite concerns over

personnel, lack of access to specialized arbitrary detention. The ûrst asylum seekers

services for sexual and reproductive health detained under the agreement, from

and unequal distribution of healthcare Bangladesh and Egypt, were returned to Italy

services, particularly in rural areas. following another Italian court decision in

October; this granted them the right to have

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE their asylum claims processed in Italy.

The police reported that, in the ûrst six

months of the year, 686 women had been DISCRIMINATION

subjected to domestic violence, an increase Roma and Egyptian people

of 30 cases compared to the previous year. A

In April, the CERD Committee highlighted
study in May highlighted that lack of
persistent challenges for Roma and Egyptian
institutional support forced victims of
people, including difûculties in obtaining birth
domestic violence back to their abusers. The
registration and identity documents, and
UN ESC Committee highlighted that the
accessing public services. The committee
procedure for obtaining free legal aid should
found evidence of de facto segregation and
be reviewed to ensure better access for
discrimination of Roma and Egyptian children
domestic violence victims.
in some schools.

CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING

LGBTI people
TREATMENT
In May, a symbolic same-sex marriage in
In January, the European Committee for the
Tirana sparked controversy despite not being
Prevention of Torture once again expressed
legally recognized. It triggered outrage from
concerns about the living conditions of
the political right and religious groups,
forensic psychiatric patients in detention. At
leading to increased hate speech against the
the temporary facility housing psychiatric
LGBTI community.
patients within Lezha Prison, the Committee
In July, the UN Independent Expert on
was concerned about overcrowding, lack of
protection against violence and
medical staff and poor infrastructure. The UN
discrimination based on sexual orientation
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
and gender identity urged the government to
separately reported a high number of people
align laws and policies with the realities faced
in pretrial detention and inadequate access
by LGBTI people, recognizing their
to healthcare for people in detention.
experience of stigmatization and

discrimination in education, healthcare,

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
employment and daily life.
In May, the 2024 World Press Freedom Index

by Reporters without Borders found that

press freedom and independence of the

Albanian media were <threatened by conüicts

of interest between the business and political

worlds, a üawed legal framework and partisan

regulation=. It found that journalists

74 Amnesty International Report

 association of members of opposition political

ALGERIA parties, and to arbitrarily arrest and prosecute

political opposition activists for exercising

1
People9s Democratic Republic of Algeria their human rights. In August, judicial

authorities subjected political activists to

Authorities maintained their closure of civic judicial supervision under abusive conditions

space through a severe crackdown on the including a ban on all publications, media

rights to freedom of expression, peaceful interventions and political activity.

assembly and association. The use of

unfounded terrorism charges to crush Freedom of peaceful assembly and of

peaceful dissent continued, including association

against political activists, journalists, trade Authorities remained highly intolerant

unionists and human rights defenders. towards peaceful gatherings and other

Authorities increased the penalty for peaceful assemblies. Throughout the year,

irregularly exiting Algeria and introduced a security forces prevented at least three

penalty of up to ûve years9 imprisonment for human rights and cultural events from taking

facilitating an irregular exit. The place and arrested at least 64 activists who

government collectively and unlawfully attempted to organize peaceful gatherings.

expelled at least 31,404 refugees and In March the ILO9s Committee on Freedom

migrants to Niger. Authorities failed to of Association expressed deep concern about

investigate allegations of torture and other the multiple difûculties encountered by

ill-treatment. Civil society reported 48 leaders of the Trade Union Confederation of

femicides; there remained no Productive Forces (COSYFOP) and afûliated

û
comprehensive of cial statistics on gender- organizations in the exercise of their trade

based violence. A prolonged climate- union rights and rights to freedom of

induced drought negatively affected the association.

realization of human rights. Authorities In a May report the UN Special Rapporteur

introduced measures to address in ation; ü on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly

ü
food in ation slowed but remained high. and of association declared that the

criminalization of civil society work in Algeria

BACKGROUND had <a chilling effect and has created a

Early presidential elections took place on 7 climate of fear, resulting in a severe shrinking

September. According to the Constitutional of civic space=.

Court, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was

re-elected with 84.3% of the vote from a Counterterrorism and human rights

turnout of 46.1% of eligible voters. The use of vaguely worded and unfounded

In July the World Bank reclassiûed the terrorism charges to suppress peaceful

Algerian economy from lower-middle-income dissent remained widespread. Activist and

to upper-middle-income following a revision poet Mohamed Tadjadit was arbitrarily

to national accounts statistics undertaken by detained for nine months following his arrest
2
the authorities. on 29 January on <terrorism= charges. On

According to the World Weather Attribution 28 March, union leader Hamza Kherroubi,

initiative, July9s extreme heatwave in the president of the COSYFOP-afûliated Algerian

Mediterranean region, including Algeria, was Union of Industries (UAI), was unjustly

related to climate change. convicted and sentenced to 20 years in

prison on baseless terrorism-related charges.

REPRESSION OF DISSENT

Political activists Freedom of expression and of the press

On 28 April the president ratiûed Law 24-06

Authorities continued to restrict the rights to
amending and supplementing the Penal
freedom of peaceful assembly and
Code. The law introduced a plethora of overly

Algeria 75
broad and vague amendments and new punishable by up to two years in prison and a

provisions which facilitate the criminalization ûne.

of acts protected by international human

rights law. The law could lead to further self- FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

censorship and prevent free and open Law 24-06 increased the maximum penalty

discussions on matters of public interest. for irregularly exiting Algeria from six months9

Authorities continued to curtail the work of to three years9 imprisonment. Article 175bis1

journalists through arbitrary detentions and introduced a new penalty of up to ûve years9

prosecutions and unlawful sanctions against imprisonment for <anyone who facilitates or

independent media outlets. On 13 June, the attempts to facilitate, directly or indirectly= an

Algiers Court of Appeal conûrmed the irregular exit.

arbitrary dissolution of media group Interface

Medias, after the conviction and sentencing REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

of its director and founder, Ihsane El Kadi, to According to the organization Alarm Phone

seven years in prison in June 2023 on Sahara, Algeria summarily and collectively
3
trumped-up and vague charges. Ihsane El expelled at least 31,404 refugees, asylum

Kadi was released on 1 November in a seekers and migrants to Niger during the

presidential pardon for 4,000 prisoners, year.

which also included activist Mohamed

Tadjadit (see above), human rights defender FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

Mohad Gasmi and at least 20 other arbitrarily Authorities continued to use Decree Law 06-

detained activists, human rights defenders 3, which discriminates against religions other

and journalists. than Sunni Islam, to violate the rights of non-

Authorities also placed or maintained Muslims for practising their faith, including

arbitrary travel bans and other restrictions on through criminal prosecutions.

activists, lawyers, trade unionists and According to the Protestant Church of

journalists in relation to the exercise of their Algeria, 46 out of 47 of their churches

human rights, including freedom of remained closed either due to judicial

expression. harassment or because the authorities

ordered their closure.

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

The Penal Code and Family Code continued TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

to unlawfully discriminate against women in Judicial and security authorities continued to

matters of inheritance, marriage, divorce, ignore detainees9 allegations of torture and

child custody and guardianship. Women9s other ill-treatment.

rights groups continued to call for the repeal Authorities failed to open an investigation

of discriminatory provisions. after journalist Merzoug Touati submitted a

The activist group Féminicides Algérie complaint on 12 August in which he alleged

recorded at least 48 femicides as of 23 that police ofûcers in the north-eastern city of

December. No comprehensive ofûcial Bejaia subjected him to torture and other ill-

statistics were available on gender-based treatment to reveal the location of his phone,

violence, amid concerns over severe under- including by threatening to subject him to

reporting due to societal stigma, police sexual violence in police custody.

inaction, limited shelters, fear of further Algeria again failed to submit its fourth

abuse and other barriers for women and girls periodic report to the UN Committee against

seeking protection and justice. Torture, which was due in 2012.

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

The Penal Code continued to criminalize A January report from the European

consensual adult same-sex sexual relations, Commission9s Joint Research Centre

highlighted the effects of ongoing and severe

76 Amnesty International Report

climate change-related droughts across the in April and a 10% to 15% increase in

Mediterranean region, including Algeria, with retirement beneûts in May.

negative repercussions on agriculture, Algeria had yet to submit its ûfth periodic

ecosystems, drinking water availability, report to the UN Committee on Economic,

energy production and the increased risk of Social and Cultural Rights which was due in

wildûres. 2015.

To address the drought, on 8 February,

Algeria announced a programme to

rehabilitate several wastewater treatment 1. <Algeria: Authorities must halt ongoing repression of civic space

plants, with the declared objective of deriving ahead of presidential elections=, 2 September ±

60% of water for irrigation from treated 2. <Algeria: Authorities must drop bogus charges against Hirak

wastewater by 2030. activist Mohamed Tadjadit=, 17 July ±

On 8 June, protests erupted in the north- 3. Algeria: Further Information: Journalist9s Sentence Confirmed on

western region of Tiaret following months of Appeal: Ihsane El Kadi, 16 January ±

water shortages and rationing related to the

drought. The government sacked the local

ofûcials it alleged were responsible for ANDORRA

mismanagement, mobilized water trucks and

announced the construction of a water Principality of Andorra

pipeline.

Algeria remained in the top nine gas üaring A total ban on abortion remained in place.
countries globally. Gas üaring releases An activist who raised concerns about the
greenhouse gas emissions and can harm the
ban was acquitted after a protracted
health of surrounding communities. In June,
judicial process. A bill to address concerns
the World Bank reported a 5% reduction in around affordable housing was welcomed
gas üaring volume and a 3% decrease in but deemed insuf cient. û
üaring intensity in Algeria compared to the

previous year, in addition to a 2% decrease in SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

oil production. A total ban on abortion remained in place,

violating the right to safe abortion care. Those

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS in need of an abortion had no alternative but

On 1 July a court unjustly convicted and
to travel 3 if able 3 to other countries in
sentenced civil society activist Rabah Kadri to search of essential healthcare.

a one-year suspended prison term, a ûne and

payment of damages in relation to his TikTok HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

posts criticizing socio-economic conditions in In January, following a judicial process lasting
Algeria and demanding political change.
more than four years, the trial of Vanessa
Food inüation slowed but remained high at
Mendoza Cortés, president of the women9s
almost 5%, threatening the rights to food,
rights organization Associació Stop
health and housing for the poorest section of Violències, ended in acquittal. She had been

the population. According to the World Bank, charged with <a crime against the prestige of

food accounted for more than half of the institutions= after speaking out about

household expenditure for the poorest 40%. women9s rights and the harmful impact of
The 2024 budget introduced tax
Andorra9s abortion ban during a CEDAW
exemptions on sales and imports of several 1
Committee session in 2019.
food products, increased the salary scale for

public sector employees by about 15%, and

RIGHT TO HOUSING
increased allowances for students, people In March, a report published by the

with disabilities and unemployed people. European Committee of Social Rights found

Authorities announced a new assisted Andorra in breach of the European Social

employment contract for unemployed people

Andorra 77
Charter as its laws failed to prohibit evictions DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

during winter or provide for compensation in Some prisoners were denied adequate

the event of an illegal eviction. medical care. The health of at least two

In July, the government introduced a draft activists, imprisoned since September 2023

bill aimed at sustainable growth and in connection with their roles in supporting

protection of the right to housing. Although peaceful protests, deteriorated. In February,

welcomed, the bill lacked concrete targets to Adolfo Campos was admitted to the prison

increase social housing stock. At the end of hospital for urgent treatment. The prison

the year, the bill had not been debated in authorities ignored doctors9

parliament. recommendations and his lawyers9 request

In October, the European Commission that he be transferred for surgery at an

against Racism and Intolerance external facility. In June, Gildo das Ruas

recommended that Andorra review its ûve- complained of fever and body aches but

year residency requirement for access to prison authorities did not let him see a doctor

social housing, to ensure equitable access to until 1 August when he was diagnosed with

housing for foreigners in vulnerable spinal deviation, preventing him from

situations. standing for more than 30 minutes, and

prescribed a wheelchair and a lumbar

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION prosthesis. A wheelchair delivered to the

Defamation laws, including the prison by his lawyers on 15 August was

1
criminalization of criticism of the authorities withheld from him for at least four days.

and Andorran institutions, remained in force,

breaching international human rights law. FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

The Angolan National Police (PNA) repressed

at least seven protests against the continuing

1. <Andorra: Acquittal of activist who raised concerns about total detention of activists, including Adolfo

abortion ban at a UN meeting 8an important victory9=, 17 January Campos and Gildo das Ruas (see above),

± high living costs, denial of workers9 rights and

the prospect of President Lourenço serving a

third term in ofûce, among other things.

ANGOLA On 22 June the PNA prevented the

National Unity for Total Revolution of Angola

Republic of Angola (UNTRA) movement from holding a peaceful

demonstration in the capital, Luanda. At least

Civil society activists and journalists were 11 protesters were arrested, one of whom

arrested and detained for exercising their was beaten and seriously injured by the

arresting ofûcers. They were released without

rights to freedom of expression and
charge seven hours later.
peaceful assembly. Some of them were
A demonstration against new legislation on
denied necessary healthcare in detention.
There was no investigation into the killing of vandalism and national security was stopped

one woman by security forces and the injury by the PNA on 31 August when at least

of another. The fate and whereabouts of two seven protesters, including activists and a

members of the National Unity for Total journalist, were arrested at Santa Ana

cemetery in Luanda, taken to Luanda

Revolution of Angola Movement remained
Provincial Command and released without
unknown. Women and children from the
charge 10 hours later.
south-western provinces were most
vulnerable to food insecurity, which was The PNA repressed another UNTRA

expected to affect 5% of the overall protest on 21 September, claiming it was

population. unauthorized, which the organizers refuted.

At least seven protesters were detained,

including organizers who had resisted a

78 Amnesty International Report

police order to disperse. The police FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

conûscated their banners, pamphlets and On 6 June, TV Nzinga journalist Guilherme

telephones. They were all released the same Fortuna was prevented from reporting on the

day without charge. mass lay-off of workers from the Luanda-

Bengo Special Economic Zone when ofûcers

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS of the 4th Police Station assaulted him,

The PNA continued to arbitrarily detain destroying his camera and recording

people, particularly activists involved in equipment.

protests.

On 4 January the PNA arrested Laurinda UNLAWFUL KILLINGS

Gouveia, a human rights activist, and her There was no investigation announced into

husband along with their two-year-old the killing on 23 August of Elzira dos

daughter at a peaceful protest in Luanda that Prazeres Manuel Zonga, and the injury of

called for the release of activists and the Esperança José Manuel, by gunshots ûred by

social media inüuencer Neth Nehara, who PNA ofûcers who were trying to stop a violent

was serving a two-year prison sentence for clash between rival groups in the Rangel

criticizing the president on TikTok. Laurinda neighbourhood of Luanda. The two women

Gouveia and her family were released the had not been participating in the violence. A

next day after she and her husband attended police ofûcer was also seriously injured

a summary trial at the Luanda Provincial during the clash.

Court, which dropped all charges on the

basis of insufûcient evidence. ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

On 16 March, Laurinda Gouveia was According to Deutsche Welle News and

rearrested along with Elisabeth Campos and UNTRA9s secretary-general Leonardo Marcos,

Marinela Pascoal, as they were about to two UNTRA members were forcibly

participate in a protest organized by Women disappeared on 11 March. They were

for Civic and Political Rights against police believed to have been taken by SIC and DIIP

violence and high living costs. They were ofûcials after they left the Radio Iglesias ofûce

released the same evening after their lawyer in Luanda, where they were being

lodged a complaint. interviewed about a protest they were

On 20 March, PNA ofûcers detained three planning for 23 March against high living

people in the cities of Bengo and Huambo for costs and the continued detention of

participating in a general strike called by the <political= prisoners. Their fate and

General Centre of Independent and Free whereabouts remained unknown at the end

Trade Unions of Angola to demand an of the year.

increase in the national minimum wage and

better living conditions. RIGHT TO FOOD

Florindo Chivucute, the executive director People from the Cunene, Huila and Namibie

of civil society organization Friends of Angola, provinces faced severe drought caused by

was arrested on 27 August for disobeying the long-term impact of El Niño. Agricultural

police orders after he ûlmed trafûc police and production was compromised. About 5% of

ofûcers from the Criminal Investigation Angola9s population, particularly women and

Services (SIC) and the Directorate of children, were expected to experience food

Investigation of Penal Offences (DIIP) insecurity during the year. Planned

attacking him. He spent a night in handcuffs government cuts to fuel subsidies were

in the 4th Police Station, Luanda, before expected to compound the situation in the

being given a two-month suspended prison absence of sufûcient social protection

sentence. measures. While local authorities in Cahama

commune, Cunene province, constructed

dams to improve access to water, and

distributed resilient seeds to address the

Angola 79
agricultural production deûcit, the measures Argentina rejected the 2030 Agenda.

were insufûcient. Consequently, hundreds of Furthermore, it was the only country to

people continued to migrate from Cunene dissociate itself from the Pact for the Future

province to Namibia. and vote against a resolution in the UN

General Assembly aimed at preventing digital

violence against women and girls.

1. <Angola: Immediately release activists wrongfully jailed for one

year and denied medical care=, 16 September ± SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

According to the Ministry of Health, since the

2021 legalization of abortion before 14 weeks

ARGENTINA of pregnancy, 245,015 people accessed a

safe abortion within the public health system

Argentine Republic up to October 2023. Abortion-related deaths

reduced by 53% between 2020 and 2022. In

January, however, President Javier Milei

Barriers to accessing abortion remained.
referred to what he called <the bloody
High rates of femicide and gender-based
abortion agenda=, alongside other
violence persisted and support services
were cut. Female journalists experienced stigmatizing rhetoric and false information.

digital violence. New legislation legalized Despite the abortion law remaining in effect

mass surveillance. Repressive responses to (amid parliamentary attempts to overturn it),

public demonstrations increased. Poverty in September the National Directorate of

worsened and the government imposed Sexual and Reproductive Health announced

that there was a shortage of essential

harsh austerity measures, particularly
supplies for abortion services.
impacting older people. The government
took regressive steps in the ûght against According to information published in

climate change, including introducing 2024, every hour ûve girls aged under 20

legislation to authorize deforestation and gave birth in Argentina in 2022. Despite this,

mining in periglacial zones. the government reversed the Adolescents9

Unplanned Pregnancy Prevention Plan,

which had successfully reduced the teenage

BACKGROUND
pregnancy rate by 49% over the previous
Argentina remained immersed in a deep
four years. The Ministry of Health dismantled
economic and social crisis. In June,

according to the National Institute of it by reducing the real-term budget by 68%,

Statistics and Census (INDEC), 52.9% of the ending the contracts of 619 specialists and

population were living in poverty. cutting resources.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child

voiced concern over the closure and SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Between January and December a femicide

degradation of institutions, retraction of
was reported every 33 hours. Despite this,
public policies, and drastic reduction to the

budget allocated to guarantee the rights of resource cuts for policies around gender-

children and adolescents, including cuts to based violence were alarming. The gender-

investment in health and education. based violence hotline <144= reduced its staff

Congress had failed to appoint an by 42% and the Acompañar programme,

which aims to strengthen the economic

ombudsperson since 2009. The Executive
independence of individuals experiencing
Branch proposed only male candidates for
gender-based violence, had reduced its
two vacancies at the all-male Supreme Court.

A proposal to lower the age of criminal reach by 98.63% in the ûrst quarter of 2024

responsibility from 16 to 13 years was compared with the same period in 2023.

pending approval. In June the Brazilian justice system found

actor Juan Darthés guilty of raping

Argentinian actor Thelma Fardín when she

80 Amnesty International Report

was 16 years old. Juan Darthés holds dual learning algorithms used to analyse

Brazilian and Argentinian citizenship and had <historical crime data and predict future

relocated to Brazil following Thelma Fardín9s crimes=.

accusation in 2018. Brazil does not extradite

its own citizens. FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

In May, three lesbian women died after a Following the approval of restrictive

man threw a Molotov cocktail into their room regulations on the right to protest in

while they slept. December 2023, the authorities responded to

In August a man was convicted for the public demonstrations with increasing

murder of Tehuel de la Torre, a young repression. On 1 February, during a peaceful

transgender man who disappeared on 11 protest against a bill proposing austerity

March 2021. The court found that the crime measures, Matías Auûeri was blinded in his

was aggravated because it was motivated by left eye by a rubber bullet ûred by police.

hatred of gender identity, marking the ûrst On 12 June, 33 people were arbitrarily

decision by the Argentinian justice system detained and criminalized during protests

recognizing extreme gender-based violence against a new version of the same law. The

against transgender men. Pierina Nochetti, a Inter-American Commission on Human

lesbian human rights activist, faced criminal Rights condemned the authorities9 comments

charges that could have resulted in up to four stigmatizing and criminalizing demonstrators,

years in prison for allegedly painting grafûti and describing them as <terrorists= with

protesting at the disappearance of Tehuel de alleged plans for a <coup d9état=.

1
la Torre. In October, she was acquitted.

In April, inüuencer Emmanuel Danann was IMPUNITY

sentenced to community service and The Executive ordered the closure of the

participation in a gender violence prevention Special Investigation Unit for the search of

workshop and was prohibited from children appropriated and forcibly

mentioning journalist Marina Abiuso following disappeared during the 1976-1983 military

systemic online gender-based harassment regime.

against her. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Over the past ûve years, 63.5% of female found Argentina responsible for failing to

journalists in Argentina have experienced adopt reasonable measures to prevent the

digital violence, with 85.6% reporting attack on 18 July 1994 at the headquarters

harassment or trolling. Additionally, 45.9% of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association

have faced sexual harassment or threats of centre, as well as for not fulûlling its duty to

sexual violence. As a result, 50% of these investigate the attack and its cover-up with

journalists reported engaging in self- due diligence and for violating the right to

censorship, and 34.5% chose to withdraw historical truth.

2
from digital platforms altogether.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND MASS The introduction of austerity measures had a

SURVEILLANCE disproportionate impact on children and

Since President Milei9s administration began older people.

in 2023, nearly 30 journalists experienced According to the INDEC, 15.7 million

harassment and violence on social media people lived below the poverty line in the ûrst

and in the media from the president and half of 2024, an increase of 11.2 percentage
3
other ofûcials. points compared with the end of 2023.

Resolutions 428/2024 and 710/2024, UNICEF reported that in April more than a

issued by the Ministry of Security, enabled million children went to bed without an

mass surveillance through monitoring social evening meal.

media, digital applications and the internet, Reduction in pension values was one of

as well as facial recognition and machine- the main drivers of the ûscal adjustment

Argentina 81
carried out by the administration. For the

whole of 2024, the minimum pension beneût ARMENIA

failed to cover the cost of living, impacting

people9s right to an adequate standard of Republic of Armenia

living. Despite the decision by Congress to

increase the value of pensions, the president The government struggled to integrate more
vetoed the change, undermining the than 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-
economic and social rights of older people. Karabakh. Freedoms of expression and
The average person living in Argentina peaceful assembly were curtailed on several
suffered economic austerity, while the ûscal occasions and journalists and
system favoured a regressive tax system that environmental defenders were threatened
exacerbated inequality. The government and harassed. Amendments to the domestic
justiûed austerity and budget cuts as violence law provided increased protection
necessary to achieve ûscal balance, while to survivors. Discrimination against LGBTI
reducing progressive taxes and increasing tax people persisted.
exemptions for large companies.

BACKGROUND
RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Negotiations towards ûnalizing a peace deal

Concerns remained over the government9s with Azerbaijan continued amidst a tense

position on climate change. The president security situation, marked by clashes around

declared that <global warming is a lie from Azerbaijan9s Nagorno-Karabakh region and

socialism= and announced that he was along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

unsubscribing Argentina from the Agenda Tensions also remained high over key issues

2030 commitments, which include targets to such as territorial corridors and the status of

limit climate change. The Climate Action Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tracker rated Argentina9s climate targets and The government continued to strengthen

policies as <critically insufûcient=, meaning political ties with the EU and USA, while

that they were not at all consistent with the announcing plans to leave the Russian-led

Paris Agreement9s 1.5°C limit for the average Collective Security Treaty Organization.

global temperature rise. The post-conüict tensions with Azerbaijan

The government also introduced regressive continued to fuel domestic political unrest. In

legislation authorizing deforestation in April and May, large-scale protests erupted

currently protected areas and expanding the after a border demarcation agreement with

authorization of mining activities in the Azerbaijan left four villages in the Tavush

periglacial zone. The reforms had not been region on the Azerbaijani side of the border.

passed by the end of the year. Protesters blocked roads, calling on Prime

Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign and

criticizing his handling of the 2022 conüict

1. <Argentina: Ongoing criminalization against LGBT+ activist=, 30 with Azerbaijan and his government9s shift in

May ± political alliances.

2. <Muted: The impact of digital violence against women

journalists=, 15 October (Spanish only) ± REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

3. <Escalation of attacks on freedom of expression in Argentina: The government continued to face difûculties

Amnesty International's letter to the IACHR=, 23 July (Spanish in integrating more than 100,000 refugees

only) ± who üed Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan

took control in September 2023. Housing,

employment and education remained

particularly difûcult for many refugees. Their

right to a safe and digniûed return remained

unfulûlled.

82 Amnesty International Report

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY by media smear campaigns. These included

The police used unlawful force against allegations that their activism threatened

demonstrators on several occasions during national security. The attacks followed their

the protests in April and May calling on the December 2023 joint statement raising

prime minister to resign. concerns about the environmental impacts of

On 12 June, police and demonstrators the controversial Amulsar mining project.

clashed in the centre of the capital, Yerevan,

during protests against the border SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

demarcation agreement. Some 101 On 12 April, parliament adopted

individuals were injured, including 17 police amendments to the domestic violence law,

ofûcers, and 98 people were reportedly strengthening protections for survivors and

detained. At least 15 individuals were later removing the previous emphasis on

charged with hooliganism and violating public <restoring family harmony=, which could

order. No law enforcement ofûcers were potentially put pressure on victims to stay in

indicted or charged following an inquiry into abusive relationships. The amendments

the proportionality and legality of the police expanded the deûnition of domestic violence
1
response. to include physical, sexual, psychological and

economic abuse. The amendments also

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION introduced new offences including forced

The protests in April and May were medical interventions, restricting access to

accompanied by reports of increased healthcare, <virginity testing= and stalking.

pressure and harassment against journalists,

including insults and threats. The Armenian LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression Stigmatization and discrimination against

reported that 14 journalists and media LGBTI people continued. In June, staff in the

workers were injured while covering the ofûce of the Ombudsperson reported being

protests, due to targeted attacks as well as subjected to threats, harassment and verbal

the crush of the crowd. Some journalists were abuse, particularly for their work with LGBTI

shoved and pushed to the ground, while individuals.

others reported being beaten and injured by

police ofûcers.

On 22 March, authorities detained podcast 1. <Armenia: Violence during street protests must be investigated=,

hosts and political opposition activists Vazgen 13 June ±

Sagatelyan and Narek Samsonyan on

charges of hooliganism and remanded them

in custody for two months. The two men were AUSTRALIA

accused of using obscene language against

the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan and Australia

other ûgures from the ruling party on the

media outlet AntiFake. Their trial began on Discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres
23 September. If convicted, they could face Strait Islander peoples remained
up to ûve years9 imprisonment. entrenched. Children as young as 10 years

of age were imprisoned. New migration laws

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT û
increased risks of inde nite detention or
The Amulsar gold mine was given permission
refoulement, and other human rights abuses
to resume operations in January without fully
in detention. Anti-protest laws were used to
addressing the environmental concerns restrict the right to peaceful assembly. New
around water and land pollution, which had fossil fuel projects were approved,
led to protests in previous years. perpetuating Australia9s status as a leading
Environmental defenders faced lawsuits fossil fuel producer.
intended to silence them and were targeted

Australia 83
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS immigration detention in similar

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples circumstances.

continued to face inequality. Only ûve of the In late November, three new migration

19 targets set in the National Agreement on laws were passed that included increased

Closing the Gap were on track. Progress on powers to remove and detain refugees and

four targets worsened, including Indigenous migrants, including to third countries, and

incarceration rates, children in out-of-home new powers to conûscate phones in

2
care, and suicide rates among First Nations detention.

Peoples.

Eighteen Indigenous People died in RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

custody during the year. In July, the Disability Royal Commission

Indigenous women experienced published a report which made over 200

disproportionate levels of domestic violence. recommendations. Only 13 of these were

Perpetrators of crimes against missing and fully accepted, with agreement <in principle=

murdered Indigenous women and children on 117 others. The government did not agree

were often not held accountable. to phase out special schools, group homes or

segregated employment settings, nor to pass

CHILDREN9S RIGHTS new laws for greater protections for people

The Northern Territory lowered the age of with disabilities, as recommended. There

criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 and were fears that this would negatively impact

reintroduced physical restraint devices such the rights to housing, education and work for

as spit-hoods. Queensland introduced people with disabilities.

tougher sentences for children under <adult

crime, adult time= policies. In June, Victoria RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

raised the age of criminal responsibility to 12, The government continued to expand fossil

but rescinded plans to raise this to 14. fuel projects, ranking among the top 20

In Western Australia, three Aboriginal boys countries in developed gas reserves. Australia
1
died in the youth detention system. was also one of nine nations responsible for

Indigenous children were 23 times more 90% of global coal production. It planned to

likely to be under youth justice supervision increase coal and gas output by more than

and 28 times more likely to be in detention, 5% by 2030: an increase incompatible with

despite making up only 5.7% of the global climate commitments. There was no

population aged 10 to 17. clear plan to phase out fossil fuels or curb

extraction. Climate ûnance contributions were

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS rated as critically insufûcient.

Unlawful refugee policies continued,

including indeûnite detention in Australia and FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

sending asylum seekers <offshore= to Nauru. Anti-protest laws were used against climate

By the end of the year, there were over 100 activists and those protesting against the war
3
refugees and asylum seekers in Nauru. in Gaza. On 25 June, in Newcastle, New

In May, the High Court dismissed a South Wales, police stopped a climate

challenge brought by an Iranian asylum protester attempting to disrupt trains and

seeker, known as ASF17, who had been arrested at least 26 people. In November,

detained since 2013. ASF17 was over 170 people were arrested for temporarily

unsuccessful in his claim of persecution blocking coal ships. Students and activists

based on his sexuality under a üawed <fast advocating for Palestinian human rights

track= assessment process. He faced faced arrests, police violence and

indeûnite detention in Australia since he was harassment. The University of Sydney

unable to be removed to Iran. The ruling introduced a policy requiring students to

impacted up to 200 people held in apply for permits to protest. At the University

of Melbourne, CCTV footage and Wi-Fi

84 Amnesty International Report

location data were used as evidence in In September the Ministry of Social Affairs

misconduct hearings against protesters. adopted the Housing First approach as an

In September, anti-war protesters were Austrian-wide model to support people

arrested after clashes with police outside a experiencing homelessness. Despite this

major defence weapons exposition in positive development, the government failed

Melbourne. Police ûred rubber bullets at to adopt a comprehensive national housing

demonstrators. strategy.

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

1. <Australia: Death of 17 year old Aboriginal boy in WA youth By year9s end 27 women had been killed in

detention a shameful, preventable tragedy=, 30 August ± cases of suspected femicides, amid concerns

2. <Australia: Labor9s new migration laws deliver a dangerous about a failure to adopt long-term strategies

setback for rights of refugees and people seeking asylum=, 2 to prevent such violence. In September the

December ± Council of Europe9s Group of Experts on

3. <Australia: Police attempts to block protests go against Action against Violence against Women and

government9s human rights obligations, say civil liberties and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) called on

community groups=, 2 October ± Austria, among other things, to ensure that

places in women9s shelters were available in

sufûcient quantity and in an adequate

AUSTRIA geographic distribution.

Women continued to have limited access

Republic of Austria to safe and affordable abortion care in several

federal states. Stigmatization of health

personnel providing abortion care remained a

Social security provisions remained
inadequate. Abortion continued to be further barrier to women accessing safe
2
criminalized. Peaceful acts of civil abortion services. Civil society continued to

disobedience were met with prison terms urge the government to fully decriminalize

without due process. Parliament passed a abortion.

Freedom of Information Act, but with far-

reaching exceptions. Guardianship for FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

Peaceful acts of civil disobedience were met

unaccompanied children seeking
with prison terms without due process and
international protection was not guaranteed.
Anti-discrimination legislation was negative rhetoric was used against climate

inadequate at the regional level. Police activists. In May, protests by Palestinian

û
of cers were still not required to wear solidarity movements at the University of

û
identi cation badges. No climate protection Vienna and the Technical University were

dispersed by the police.

act was introduced.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Women and people with disabilities faced In January, parliament passed the Freedom

signiûcant barriers in accessing social of Information Act, although most

assistance beneûts, including stigmatization, municipalities were exempted from the duty

bureaucratic hurdles and restrictive legal to proactively publish information of general

interest.
provisions, which undermined their right to
1 In August, the government published a
social security. During the parliamentary
draft law on surveillance of encrypted
election campaigns, the Austrian People9s

Party as well as the Austrian Freedom Party communications which would allow the use

advocated restricting access to social of highly invasive spyware.

assistance beneûts for asylum seekers and

non-nationals.

Austria 85
DETAINEES9 RIGHTS still not required to wear identiûcation

In June the UN Committee against Torture badges, impeding accountability.

(CAT) expressed concerns over conditions in

some detention deportation centres and RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

called on Austria to end the practice of Human-induced climate change increased

detaining individuals with mental health extreme weather events, with üoods, storms,

issues in so-called security cells in such and mountain snowfall in September. The

facilities. government failed to introduce a binding

climate protection act.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

In June the UN CAT expressed concerns

about the lack of any federal provision to 1. <As if You Were Going to the Enemy=: Access to Social Assistance

ensure guardianship for all unaccompanied Benefits in Austria, 28 June ±

asylum-seeking children on their arrival in the 2. Austria: <It9s my job= 3 Healthcare Professionals As Defenders of

country. A legislative proposal by the Ministry the Law on Abortion in Austria, 26 June (German only) ±

of Justice to address this was not forwarded

to parliament for discussion.

Also in June the Constitutional Court AZERBAIJAN

upheld a decision to send a man back to

Afghanistan, despite concerns that he faced Republic of Azerbaijan

a real risk of serious human rights violations.

In October the Court of Justice of the EU The year saw a sharp decline in respect for
ruled that an Afghan woman9s gender and
human rights, with the authorities
nationality alone could sufûce as proof of
continuing to impose an effective ban on
persecution, following Austria9s denial of independent oversight. Impunity prevailed
refugee status to two Afghan women. for past violations in the con ict over the ü
There were no safe and digniûed pathways disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
like resettlement programmes for people Independent NGOs and the media
seeking international protection. continued to face arbitrary restrictions.

Human rights defenders and activists were

DISCRIMINATION arrested for their legitimate activities.
Austria failed to harmonize anti-
Peaceful protests were suppressed. Torture
discrimination legislation across national and and other ill-treatment remained
regional levels. Disability, ethnicity and widespread. LGBTI people were denied
gender continued to be considered protected justice.
grounds only in access to goods and

services.
BACKGROUND
Concerns persisted throughout the year
In November, Azerbaijan hosted COP29 amid
about rates of antisemitic and anti-Muslim
allegations that senior ofûcials from its
crimes. conference team were using the opportunity

In the run up to parliamentary elections in to broker new fossil fuel deals. The Host

September, there was a notable increase in Country Agreement was never made public,

racist speech, including by public ofûcials, although a leaked version indicated a lack of
particularly online targeting of asylum seekers
genuine protection for human rights.
and refugees.
The authorities deûed efforts to ensure

oversight, refusing to cooperate with

UNLAWFUL USE OF FORCE international intergovernmental bodies and

In January, the new police oversight body civil society organizations, including those

became operational although concerns over focused on human rights mechanisms. In

its full independence persisted. Police were January, the government threatened to

86 Amnesty International Report

withdraw from the Council of Europe (CoE) government critics. In April, human rights

and the European Convention on Human defender Anar Mammadli, winner of the

Rights, after the council's Parliamentary 2014 PACE human rights prize, was arrested

Assembly (PACE) suspended Azerbaijan9s and placed in pretrial detention on fabricated

credentials due to insufûcient cooperation smuggling charges. His arrest came shortly

and a worsening rights record. Authorities after his Election Monitoring and Democracy

also restricted monitoring of February9s snap Studies Center published an assessment on

presidential election, which was criticized by the conduct of the February presidential

observers for lacking genuine competition election and as he, together with other

and was won by the incumbent. human rights defenders, announced a

Peace negotiations with Armenia coalition on climate justice ahead of COP29.

progressed after Azerbaijan agreed to drop its More than a dozen journalists remained in

demand for a <Zangezur Corridor= to its arbitrary detention following their arrest in

Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia in 2023. Authorities also extended the pretrial

August. However, its new demands for detention of at least 11 journalists from

Armenia to amend its constitution to remove Azerbaijan9s few remaining independent

references to unity with Nagorno-Karabakh, news outlets, falsely accusing them of

as well as ongoing disputes over border currency smuggling in connection with

delineation, further complicated efforts to alleged funding from western donors.

reach a ûnal settlement. On 6 March, police raided one of the last

remaining independent news channels

VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL Toplum TV, its partner organization the

HUMANITARIAN LAW Institute of Democratic Initiatives (IDI), and

Impunity prevailed for violations in the the Platform for the Third Republic, an

conüict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh opposition group. They detained journalists

region. On 24 January, when suspending and activists including Toplum TV founder

Azerbaijan9s credentials, PACE reiterated its Alasgar Mammadli, journalist Mushûg Jabbar,

concern at Azerbaijan9s failure to Third Republic board members Akif

acknowledge the severe humanitarian and Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzetli, and IDI activists

human rights impact of restricting access Ramil Babayev and Ali Zeynalov, all on

from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh through fabricated charges. Independent journalists

the Lachin Corridor. PACE also reiterated its Imran Aliyev and Farid Mehralizade, arrested

condemnation of Azerbaijan9s September on 18 April and 29 May respectively, also

2023 military operation, which led to the remained in detention on false charges of

displacement to Armenia of the entire ethnic currency smuggling.

Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, Between August and November, the

amounting to more than 100,000 people. prosecution brought new fabricated charges

Their right to a safe and digniûed return of illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering

remained unrealized. and tax evasion against journalists of the

investigative outlet Abzas Media, who had

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND been held in arbitrary detention since

ASSOCIATION November 2023. Its director and his deputy

Independent NGOs and the media continued Ulvi Hasanli and Mahammad Kekalov, editor-

to face arbitrary restrictions, including denial in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi and journalists Nargiz

of registration and onerous reporting Absalamova, Elnara Gasimova and Haûz

1
requirements. The media sector remained Babali faced between eight and 12 years9

under effective government control, resulting imprisonment if convicted.

in widespread self-censorship. The In July and August, academics Igbal Abilov

presidential election and COP29 were and Bahruz Samadov were arrested on

preceded by new waves of arrests of fabricated charges of treason. They remained

independent journalists and other

Azerbaijan 87
in pretrial custody and were denied contact academic Gubad Ibadoghlu, who had been

with their families. held in pretrial detention for 274 days, was

moved to house arrest as his health

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY deteriorated. He remained under

Freedom of assembly remained severely and investigation on false charges and was

unduly restricted and the authorities banned from leaving Azerbaijan to receive

continued to imprison those taking part in medical care.

peaceful protests.

In April, trade union activist Aykhan LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Israûlov was sentenced to three years9 On 19 April, the European Court of Human

imprisonment on fabricated drug charges in Rights struck out the case of A. v. Azerbaijan

retaliation for participating in peaceful and 23 related applications, based on

protests by couriers in August 2023. Azerbaijan9s unilateral declaration, which

Two activists who supported environmental acknowledged <the fact there was a violation

protests in the village of Söyüdlü, Gadabay of the applicants9 rights= and made a

district, in 2023 were also convicted on false commitment to pay them damages. The

drug-related charges (see below). Joshgun applicants alleged, among other things, that

Musayev, who printed posters during the as LGBTI persons they had been subjected to

protest, was arrested in August and discrimination, arbitrary arrests, mistreatment

sentenced to three years9 imprisonment. and forced medical examinations. The court9s

Former member of parliament Nazim decision, which activists criticized for denying

Baydamirli, arrested in October shortly after justice, left the allegations unaddressed

he publicly supported the protests, was because the authorities failed to conduct

sentenced to eight years9 imprisonment. effective investigations and bring those

responsible to justice. In 2019, the applicants

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT had indicated to the court that <they were not

Torture and other ill-treatment, and impunity satisûed with the terms of the [Azerbaijani

for the perpetrators, remained widespread. government9s] unilateral declaration= on

On 3 July, in an exceptional move, the CoE9s which the decision was based.

Committee for the Prevention of Torture

publicly denounced Azerbaijan9s ongoing RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

refusal to cooperate and address long- On 5 August, the government authorized the

standing concerns, including widespread resumption of operations at a gold mine in

physical ill-treatment and, on occasions, Söyüdlü, including expanding an existing

torture by the police. It called on the pond containing toxic waste. The operations

Azerbaijani authorities <to break this 8unholy had been suspended for a year following

alliance9 between the continued resort to environmental protests in 2023 over

physical ill-treatment/torture by the police concerns of improper storage of toxic waste

and the pervasive practice of threats, planting during mining operations. Locals and

evidence, forced confessions and extortion=. environmental activists alleged that the waste

On 24 July, Ulvi Hasanli (see above) was causing serious health problems and

published a letter alleging torture and other polluting surrounding agricultural land. The

ill-treatment, including systematic beating of protests were brutally suppressed by the

prisoners, in the detention centre where he authorities.

was held.

Jailed government critics continued to be

denied adequate medical care, resulting in 1. Azerbaijan: Update: The Human Rights Situation in Azerbaijan

signiûcant worsening of their health. They Ahead of COP29, 1 November ±

included Anar Mammadli, Alasgar

Mammadli, Ruslan Izzetli, Aziz Orujov, Fazil

Gasimov and Famil Khalilov. On 22 April,

88 Amnesty International Report

 for imposing the travel ban or how he could

BAHRAIN contest it.

On 25 March, authorities detained

Kingdom of Bahrain Ebrahim Sharif, a leader of the outlawed

opposition party Wa8d, for social media posts

Bahrain continued to suppress the rights to in which he criticized the government for

freedom of expression and association, investing national revenues in McLaren

including through arbitrary detention and Automotive company rather than public

travel bans. The right to freedom of housing. He was released on 28 March but

peaceful assembly was not fully respected; the authorities did not formally drop the

peaceful and violent demonstrators were criminal investigation, allowing them the

grouped together in unfair trials which discretion to bring future charges in the case.

relied on non-credible evidence including This was the second time in less than a year

<confessions= taken from children. that the authorities had detained Ebrahim

Sharif for his political expression online.

BACKGROUND On 30 July the Ministry of the Interior and

Bahrain released 2,586 prisoners, including Ofûce of Public Prosecution detained Hasan

more than 750 people detained for political al-Hayeki, Jamsheer Fairouz, Husain 8Id,

reasons, according to Shia opposition groups, Sayed Mohamed al-8Alawi and Saleh Sahwan

in three royal pardons on 8 April, 15 June for organizing a gathering on the night of 16

and 4 September. The 8 April pardon July at which people chanted: <We demand

included human rights defender and prisoner the release of the prisoners!= and other

of conscience Naji Fateel. However, other political slogans. Hasan al-Hayeki was

prominent human rights defenders including released on 3 September. The others were

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Abduljalil Al- released on 22 September.

Singace remained arbitrarily detained.

ARBITRARY DEPRIVATION OF NATIONALITY

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION On 10 July the Court of Cassation stripped

Bahrain continued to conduct arrests and Mohamed Rafeeq al-Husaini, the

prosecutions of government critics. On 5 representative of al-Muharraq Governorate9s

May, authorities began a criminal trial against First Electoral District, of his membership of

human rights activist Ali al-Hajee for the Council of Representatives, the elected

peacefully protesting against an arbitrary house of Bahrain9s parliament, on the

travel ban imposed on him after his release grounds that he held Pakistani as well as

1 Bahraini nationality. Pakistan does not

from prison in 2023. He had been released

after serving a 10-year sentence for his recognize Mohamed Rafeeq al-Husaini as a

involvement in peaceful protests. He was Pakistani national, and he had lived in

acquitted on 29 May and the travel ban was Bahrain with Bahraini nationality for decades.

lifted in August. In August the Court of Cassation stripped

Authorities continued the criminal Mohamed Rafeeq al-Husaini of his Bahraini

investigation, begun in November 2023, of nationality and the executive authorities

Jasim Hussein Al Abbas, based on a blog deported him to Pakistan. The government

post he wrote about Bahrain9s conversion to acted against him after he called on 30 April

Islam. Authorities held him under an arbitrary for the release from prison of Ali Salman, the

travel ban throughout the year on the leader of the outlawed opposition party al-

accusation of <circulating wrong historical Wefaq. Ali Salman is serving a life sentence

information=. Despite his repeated inquiries, because of his political activities; Amnesty

the authorities would not disclose to him International considers him to be a prisoner

which government agency was responsible of conscience.

Bahrain 89
FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

The authorities continued to arrest, prosecute Authorities responded to long-term sit-in

and imprison peaceful demonstrators and protests by inmates at Jaw prison, which

bystanders in unfair trials. On 25 March, began in March, by restricting the protesters9

seven defendants were convicted for telephone calls and visits and by cutting off

participating in a pro-Palestine protest in the electricity to their buildings. This included

village of Sanabis on 2 November 2023. The cutting off detainees9 air conditioning during

court handed down prison sentences to all summer temperatures of 44 to 46°C.

seven defendants in the absence of any As in previous years, prisoners and their

credible evidence that they had committed families were routinely denied access to their

an internationally recognized criminal offence medical records.

(see below).

Despite the large-scale pardon and release RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

of prisoners, Bahrain continued to arbitrarily During COP29 in November, Bahrain9s oil

detain 10 leaders of mass anti-government minister announced the country9s

protests that took place in 2011, including commitment to reducing emissions by 30%

activists and prisoners of conscience. The 10 by the year 2035 and achieving net zero by

men, who were convicted before a military 2060. However, in February, Bahrain had

court on charges including <setting up terror sought a USD 500 million loan to expand oil

groups to topple the regime and change the and gas production by 400 new oil wells and

constitution=, had their convictions and 30 gas wells.

sentences upheld on appeal in September

2012.

1. <Bahrain: Human rights activist faces trial in further prosecution

UNFAIR TRIALS for protesting travel ban=, 3 May ±

Criminal cases continued to be prosecuted

through procedures that often violated the

right to a fair trial. In cases where violence BANGLADESH

was allegedly used against police during

street demonstrations, defendants were People9s Republic of Bangladesh

typically tried in groups resulting in group

verdicts, undermining the right to a

Freedom of expression continued to be
determination of individual criminal liability. ü
sti ed by the draconian Cyber Security Act
In February and March, for example, a which did not adhere to international laws
court tried three adults and three children in and standards. Student-led protests faced
one proceeding on charges of participating in violence from the police, armed forces and
a pro-Palestine demonstration in the village of
groups aligned with the former ruling party,
Karzakkan on 17 November 2023 where
the Awami League. The violence left
some protesters engaged in violence against
hundreds dead and thousands injured and
the police and some remained peaceful. In sparked domestic and international
the separate trial of seven defendants in pressure for reform. The new interim
connection with the pro-Palestine protest in government began to address the issue of
Sanabis on 2 November 2023, the only enforced disappearances, however, families
evidence used to convict them consisted of
of the disappeared were still waiting for
statements from ofûcers of the Ministry of the
truth and justice. Rohingya refugees
Interior and the claim that ûve of the
continued to face dire living conditions in
defendants had <confessed= under camps, without access to essential services.
interrogation. Four of the ûve <confessions= Religious minorities and Indigenous
were from children, including two 15-year- Peoples faced violence. Garment workers
olds. continued to suffer intimidation,

90 Amnesty International Report

harassment and repression of their rights to <derogatory remarks= about then prime

freedom of association and peaceful minister Hasina on social media. On 24

assembly. December the interim government approved

the draft Cyber Protection Ordinance (CPO)

BACKGROUND which repealed and replaced the CSA. The

Following weeks of student-led protests, on 5 CPO has been criticized by civil society for its

August Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vague, over-broad and repressive provisions,

resigned and üed to India. An interim which could be used to stiüe freedom of

government comprised of advisers was expression.

formed on 8 August. Subsequent Selim Khan, a 19-year-old atheist blogger

breakdowns of law and order were reported, who had expressed views critical of Islam in a

along with incidents of violence against those private Facebook group, had been arrested

with ties to the Awami League party and and detained under the CSA on 4 November

minority communities, including Indigenous 2023. Despite ûnally being granted bail on 13

Peoples. The interim government extended March after several refusals, he was not

an invitation to the OHCHR, the UN human released until 13 August. His case was

rights ofûce, to investigate human rights ongoing at year9s end.

violations that took place between 1 July and On 14 August, journalist Rozina Islam was

15 August. acquitted of allegedly stealing conûdential

In August, üash üoods and heavy monsoon documents. She had been detained under

rains created what authorities referred to as the Ofûcial Secrets Act and Penal Code in

the <worst climate disaster in recent May 2021 and held for a week before being

memory=. Climate-induced üooding affected released on bail. The authorities failed to

almost 6 million people and displaced at least produce any evidence to substantiate the

500,000. charges against her.

During the nationwide protests that took

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION place in July-September, authorities enforced

Following mounting domestic and an internet blackout on 18 July for six days.

international pressure, in 2023 the Ongoing restrictions were reported. The

government had replaced the Digital Security government alleged the blackout was to

Act (DSA) with the equally draconian Cyber combat the spread of misinformation. Civil

Security Act (CSA). Despite its repeal, media society groups expressed concern, however,

reports indicated that cases continued to be that it hindered human rights monitoring and

ûled under the DSA as late as April. In limited people9s ability to counter
2
February the Rangpur Cyber Tribunal misinformation.

instigated investigations into the editor of a

local newspaper and two other people; all FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

were later charged and imprisoned under the A quota system that allocated 30% of

DSA. government jobs to descendants of

The CSA was criticized for duplicating independence war veterans was reinstated in

problematic provisions of the DSA. It retained June. In early July, university students took to

58 of the 62 provisions 3 28 were retained the streets in protest demanding equal job

verbatim 3 and enabled severe restrictions on opportunities based on merit. Many were
1
freedom of expression, liberty and privacy. concerned the quotas favoured supporters of

In February, Pinaki Battacharya, a blogger the ruling party. The protests took place amid

living in exile in France, and six others were high unemployment rates, including among

charged under the CSA for allegedly graduates.

distorting images of then prime minister On 15 July, peaceful protesters were

Sheikh Hasina and publishing them on social violently dispersed by police using unlawful

media. Similarly, in June, 11 people were force. Some protesters were allegedly

charged under the CSA for allegedly making attacked by members of the Bangladesh

Bangladesh 91
Chatra League (BCL), a group afûliated with between 16 July and 9 September was at

the Awami League, with the support of least 875, of whom at least 52% were

security forces using batons, sticks and students. Media reported at least 111 deaths

ûrearms. Students reported being attacked on 4 August alone.

by members of these groups while they were From August onwards, protests called for

seeking treatment in hospital. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina9s resignation,

On 16 July, student leader Abu Sayed was which culminated in a planned <Long March

intentionally and unlawfully shot by police to Dhaka= on 5 August. Sheikh Hasina üed to

ofûcers who ûred directly at his chest from India and resigned on 5 August, after 15

across the street in circumstances where he years in power.

posed no threat. Abu Sayed was reported

dead upon arrival at the hospital. His was one Women9s and girls9 rights

of six deaths reported on 16 July. Women and girls played a key role in the

Protests demanding an apology for the student protest movement, facing unlawful

violence from former prime minister Sheikh use of force by the police and reporting

Hasina erupted across the country in violent attacks from groups afûliated with the

solidarity with student protesters. Some Awami League. Women who spoke to

protests turned violent and public facilities Amnesty International said they were kicked

such as railway stations and highways were in their breasts, stomach and head during

reportedly damaged. At midnight on 19 July these attacks. Media reports suggested that

a nationwide curfew was implemented. women and girls were attacked to deter them

Armed forces were deployed and authorities from protesting.

passed <shoot-on-sight= orders. Women journalists claimed that their

Amnesty International documented the coverage of the protests led to them being

repeated use of unlawful force by authorities targeted by the police, groups afûliated with

with weapons including assault riües loaded the Awami League and even protesters.

with lethal ammunition. Authorities ûred tear On 27 July, Nusrat Tabbasum, a student

gas into enclosed spaces and used rubber leader and key protest coordinator, was

bullets and shotguns loaded with pellets. arrested and arbitrarily detained alongside

Lethal and less-lethal weapons were used other coordinators. The government claimed

against unarmed students, violating they were taken into custody <for their

Bangladesh9s obligations under international safety=. Nusrat Tabbasum was released on 1

law and standards. August with ûve others after they went on a

According to media reports, between 17 32-hour hunger strike. The coordinators

and 29 July, 10,000 protesters were arrested claimed that while in police custody they

and detained, including student leaders, were coerced into declaring an end to the

protest coordinators, bystanders and people protests.

providing protesters with food and water.

Student leaders Arif Sohel, Rony Sheikh and ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

Sabir Rahman were arrested in July. Their According to Odhikar, a Bangladeshi human

families and lawyers reported being denied rights organization, there were 10 reported

access to them while in detention, in violation cases of enforced disappearances between

of their due process rights. Rony was January and June.

released on bail on 2 August, Arif was After Sheikh Hasina9s resignation, three

released on bail on 3 August, and Sabir was people whose whereabouts had been

released on bail at the end of July. Most of unknown for years were released from a

the students were arrested under mass First secret detention facility. They were Michael

Information Reports, (FIRs), where they Chakma, an Indigenous rights activist who

remained unnamed. was forcibly disappeared in 2019; Abdullahil

According to local civil society group Aman Azmi, a retired brigadier general and

Human Rights Support Society, the death toll son of the head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party,

92 Amnesty International Report

who was forcibly disappeared in 2016; and FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

Ahmad Bin Quasem, a Supreme Court Authorities failed to protect minority

lawyer, who was also forcibly disappeared in communities from violence, discrimination

2016. and harassment. On 5 and 6 August, there

On 27 August the interim government set was a spate of attacks against Hindu and

up a ûve-member Commission of Inquiry to Ahmadi communities. Houses, places of

investigate allegations of enforced worship and businesses belonging to

disappearances that took place between 6 religious minorities were attacked and at least

January 2009 and August 2024. On 14 one person from the Hindu community was

December the Commission published an killed.

interim report which detailed the legal

frameworks and patterns observed in INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

incidents of disappearances in Bangladesh. In April and May, as part of an ongoing

In a welcome step, on 29 August, the military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

interim government acceded to the in south-eastern Bangladesh, over 100

International Convention against enforced Indigenous Bawm people were arbitrarily

disappearance. However, Bangladesh is a arrested on charges including alleged

dualist country (one where the government sedition under the draconian Special Powers
3
considers international law separate from Act They remained in detention at the end of

domestic law) and there was no domestic the year.

legislation enacted to give full effect to the On 20 September, violence erupted

Convention in the domestic system. between Bengali settlers and Indigenous

Jummo people in the Khagrachari and

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS Rangamati districts of the Chittagong Hill

Bangladesh was host to almost 1 million Tracts. The violence left at least three people

Rohingya refugees who üed violence and dead, 15 injured and at least 50 homes and

persecution in Myanmar. Living conditions in businesses burned.

the camps remained dire, especially as more

refugees entered Bangladesh due to violence WORKERS9 RIGHTS

in Myanmar. Refugees in camps experienced Garment workers faced continued repression

food insecurity, a lack of housing and and crackdowns on their right to freedom of

essential services such as healthcare, and association, assembly and peaceful protest.

were unable to be registered by UNHCR, the At least nine garment workers, along with

UN refugee agency. Many refugees were other workers, including child labourers, were

prevented from entering Bangladesh and killed by authorities exercising unlawful use

were <pushed back= 3 unlawfully rejected at of force during the nationwide protests in July

the border by guards 3 in violation of the and August. During this time, many garment

principle of non-refoulement. factories were closed for extended periods,

Refugees were also victims of üoods and leaving workers without wages and forcing

landslides in the camps during heavy many to protest in demand of back pay.

monsoon rains. A large ûre which spread Workers faced arbitrary charges and

through the camps in January led to at least unlawful use of force, prompting fears of

800 shelters being burned, affecting the arrest or detention. On 30 September a

shelter of almost 7,000 refugees. According garment worker was shot dead by police, and

to UNHCR, authorities and humanitarian at least 41 workers were injured when initially

agencies provided refugees with temporary peaceful protests demanding higher wages

emergency shelter, food and medical and turned violent.

psychological support. At least 40,000 garment workers remained

at risk of arrest and detention due to legal

charges brought against them during wage-

related protests in September to November

Bangladesh 93
2023. Despite the announcement on 24 intended to be perceived as preparation for a

September by the interim government that military confrontation.

they would drop these charges, by the end of In October the UN Special Rapporteur on

the year the majority of cases had not been the human rights situation in Belarus stated

formally dropped. that the country9s engagement with the UN

On 11 September the Bangladesh human rights system had <reached its lowest

Garment Manufacturers and Exporters historical point=.

Association promised to abolish a database of

workers. They had previously denied that the FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION

database was being used to <blacklist= and AND ASSEMBLY

prevent the employment of workers Freedom of expression remained severely

associated with trade unions or protests. curtailed. The ofûcial list of online, printed

and broadcast materials labelled by the

authorities as containing <extremist content=

1. <Bangladesh: Repackaging repression: The cyber security act and continued to grow. Each month, hundreds of

the continuing lawfare against dissent in Bangladesh=, 8 August individuals were arbitrarily added to the <List

± of persons involved in extremist activities=,

2. <Bangladesh: Further video and photographic analysis confirm which comprised 4,707 people as of

police unlawfully used lethal and less-lethal weapons against December.

protesters=, 25 July ± At the end of the year, 45 media workers

3. <Bangladesh: Over 100 Indigenous People Arbitrarily Arrested: were in prison for their professional activity.

Bawm Villagers=, 22 May ± The suppression of civil society

organizations, including independent NGOs,

trade unions and ethnic and religious

BELARUS communities, escalated. At least 329

organizations were dissolved or in the

Republic of Belarus process of dissolution in 2024.

Human rights defender and 2020 protest

The authorities continued to crack down on icon, 73-year-old Nina Bahinskaya, was

arbitrarily detained in October for marching

all forms of public criticism and abused the
with a poster of an arbitrarily banned political
justice system to penalize peaceful dissent.
party. Police held her in custody in handcuffs
The suppression of independent media and
civil society organizations escalated. Torture for three hours, then released her pending a

and other ill-treatment were endemic and court hearing.

impunity prevailed. The enforced

disappearance of prisoners was widely FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

Religious organizations and clergy not aligned

practised. The LGBTI community continued
with the government faced accusations of
to face harassment. Refugees and migrants
creating or distributing extremist materials,
were forced across borders with the EU.
Climate action policies remained leading to prohibition and blocking of online

inadequate. materials and social network proûles,

arbitrary detentions and arrests.

BACKGROUND In May, Roman Catholic priest Andrei

Yukhnevich was detained for displaying a

With international isolation prevailing, Belarus
Ukrainian üag on his social media account.
continued to engage with Russia
He was then accused of sexually abusing
economically, politically, diplomatically and

militarily. Rhetoric about external threats from minors and remanded in custody.

EU neighbours and Ukraine continued, and

Belarus9s military forces conducted activities ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

The authorities released dozens of prisoners

convicted of politically-motivated charges,

94 Amnesty International Report

under non-disclosure conditions and after There had been no contact with the

forcing them to appeal for pardon. Their imprisoned 2020 protest leader Maryia

names were not released. Kalesnikava for over 600 days, until her

However, arrests and prosecution of father was granted a meeting with her in

dissenters remained widespread, particularly November following international pressure.

targeting participants and supporters of the

peaceful mass protests in 2020, whose family UNFAIR TRIALS

members were also harassed. In January, The authorities continued to abuse the justice

police raided the homes of about 160 system to suppress peaceful dissent,

individuals, mainly relatives of unfairly targeting political opponents, human rights

imprisoned protesters. Some were brieüy defenders, activists, and lawyers, among

detained and questioned. others. Trials in absentia were commonplace.

As of December, 1,265 people were In July, 20 exiled political analysts and

imprisoned on politically motivated charges journalists afûliated with opposition leader

and around 3,000 were released after fully Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya were sentenced to

serving their sentence, according to the between 10 and 11-and-a-half years9

Human Rights Centre Viasna. Also, according imprisonment for crimes against the state

to Viasna, at least 55 people were detained in and <extremism=.

2024 upon returning to Belarus from exile.

Some were penalized under administrative LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

proceedings, and 17 faced criminal charges, In February the Prosecutor General

including for making donations to victims of presented a draft law to parliament proposing

human rights violations. to make "propaganda of non-traditional family

relations", including "propaganda of

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT abnormal relationships, pedophilia, and

Torture and other ill-treatment remained voluntary refusal to have children",

endemic, with perpetrators enjoying administrative offences.

impunity. Individuals convicted on politically In April the Ministry of Culture updated the

motivated charges endured harsher ofûcial deûnition of pornography by adding

treatment in custody, their prison uniforms <non-traditional sexual relations and/or sexual

marked with yellow badges. Several such behaviour=, clarifying that it included, among

high-proûle prisoners were denied contact other things, consensual same-sex and

with the outside world, frequently put in bisexual relationships.

punishment cells for extended periods and The LGBTI community continued to face

refused adequate healthcare. harassment, including arbitrary arrests.

Five victims of politically motivated NGOs and media reported that, in August

prosecution died in detention. Two of them, and September alone, at least 30 LGBTI

Vadzim Khrasko and Igor Lednik, had pre- people were detained. Their detentions were

existing health conditions that were well mostly for purported <minor hooliganism=

known to the authorities. and subscription to <extremist= materials, but

also for <production and distribution of

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES pornographic materials= (a criminal offence if

Throughout the year, there was no outside committed repeatedly).

contact with and no direct information about

Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Losik, Maksim CHILDREN9S RIGHTS

Znak, Mikalai Statkevich, Viktar Babaryka Human rights organizations ZMINA, Freedom

and other imprisoned high-proûle activists, House, BYPOL and Viasna reported 2,219

journalists and politicians. According to the cases of the forcible transfer of Ukrainian

UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus, such children to Belarus, where they were enrolled

prolonged periods of isolation could amount into local education facilities and subjected to

to enforced disappearances. indoctrination and propaganda.

Belarus 95
REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Authorities continued to force refugees and In February, parliament adopted a new

migrants across Belarus9s borders with the criminal code. It criminalized some acts,

EU. According to the NGO Human including a malicious attack on the authority

Constanta, in the three years to March 2024, of the state, gloriûcation of terrorism and

at least 116 migrants and refugees were lese-majesty (an offence of showing a lack of

reported to have died in the border areas respect for the sovereign), which would

between Belarus and the EU, as a result of undermine freedom of expression.

adverse conditions and alleged violent

forcible returns. FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

Municipalities continued to require prior

DEATH PENALTY authorization for public gatherings, a

No new executions were recorded. A German disproportionate restriction of the right to

1
national, Rico Krieger, was convicted of protest. In May, police used a water cannon

several offences, including spying and and tear gas to disperse a peaceful

mercenary activities, and sentenced to death demonstration near the Israeli embassy

in July. He was later pardoned and then protesting against human rights violations in

freed on 1 August as part of a prisoner Gaza. The mayor of Uccle district had

exchange agreed between Russia and several ordered the protest to be broken up as the

western countries. organizers had not obtained prior

authorization.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT In September, civil society organizations

The Climate Change Performance Index warned against increasing repression against

lowered Belarus9s ranking to 47th place pro-Palestinian demonstrators, highlighting

(<among the overall low performers=), scoring the use of administrative sanctions against

it <very low in the Renewable Energy and peaceful protesters for failing to comply with

Climate Policy categories=. unlawful municipal authorization regimes.

Around 70 people who had participated in or

sympathized with the occupation of a

BELGIUM university building in the capital, Brussels

were summoned for questioning in a criminal

Kingdom of Belgium investigation into membership of a group

2
<inciting segregation and racism=.

New criminal offences risked undermining

the right to freedom of expression. Arms REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

transfers to Israel were halted but Authorities continued to leave thousands of

repression against pro-Palestinian protesters asylum seekers homeless and destitute by

was on the rise. Asylum seekers were left denying them access to accommodation.

homeless and Afghan asylum seekers were Despite the severity of the human rights

denied protection. Prison conditions crisis in Afghanistan, the Ofûce of the

remained dire although some progress was Commissioner General for Refugees and

made in establishing oversight. Provisions Stateless Persons continued to deny

for care for survivors of sexual violence were international protection to the majority of

strengthened and the country9s policies on Afghan asylum seekers. Statistics published

people with disabilities were reviewed in December indicated that only 39% of

internationally. The state was ordered to pay those applying were granted protection. Most

reparations for crimes against humanity of the Afghan nationals who did not obtain

during colonial rule. international protection were unable to return

to Afghanistan and were vulnerable to abuse

due to their irregular migration status.

96 Amnesty International Report

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

On 18 April, parliament adopted a law on REPARATION

care centres for survivors of sexual violence On 2 December, the Court of Appeals of

which established a legal basis for such Brussels recognized the responsibility of the

centres, safeguarded funding and ensured Belgian state for the crime against humanity

collaboration between hospitals, the police of abduction and systematic racial

and the public prosecutor9s ofûce. segregation of Métis children (those of mixed

African and European ancestry) under

DETAINEES9 RIGHTS Belgian colonial rule in the Democratic

The new criminal code adopted in February Republic of the Congo. The court ordered

stipulated that custodial sentences should be reparations to be paid to the ûve appellants.

used only as a last resort.

Overcrowding in dilapidated prisons RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

continued, with insufûcient access to In May, a non-exhaustive inventory by the

essential services, including healthcare and federal government showed that in 2021 the

sanitary facilities. state spent EUR 15.5 billion in fossil fuels

In April, a federal preventive mechanism subsidies; the actual ûgure was higher still.

against torture and other ill-treatment was

established, bringing ratiûcation of the

Optional Protocol to the UN Convention 1. Europe: Under Protected and Over Restricted: The State of The

against Torture one step closer. Right to Protest in 21 European Countries, 8 July ±

2. Belgium: <NGOs and trade unions concerned about repressive

RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES measures targeting pro-Palestinian movement in Belgium=, 20

In September, the Committee on the Rights of September (French only) ±

People with Disabilities recommended, 3. Belgium: Submission to The UN Committee on The Rights of

among other things, that Belgium develop Persons with Disabilities: 31st Session, 12 August-5 September

and enact an effective deinstitutionalization 2024, 12 July ±

strategy; ensure mobility policies meet the

speciûc needs of people with disabilities,

including older people; and ensure that

BENIN
people with disabilities have a sufûcient
3
income to lead a digniûed life.
Republic of Benin

IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS Rights to freedom of expression and

In February, the Walloon regional government
peaceful assembly continued to be routinely
suspended export licences of military
curtailed. Opposition leaders were arbitrarily
material to Israel, after an open letter sent by
detained. Detention conditions violated
civil society organizations. In December,
international human rights standards for the
media reported that the Walloon regional
treatment of prisoners. Victims of forced
government had resumed issuing export
eviction linked to tourism development
licences for military material to the United
projects continued to be denied adequate
Arab Emirates despite signiûcant human
compensation. Armed groups killed people
rights concerns.
at the borders with Niger and Burkina Faso.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS BACKGROUND

Political parties continued to block a vote in
A new electoral code 3 denounced by the
parliament on a proposal aiming to improve
opposition 3 was enacted in March. The text
access to abortion services and bring the
restricted participation in the presidential
laws into closer compliance with the 2022
election, scheduled for 2026. Despite the
WHO Abortion Care Guideline.
lifting of the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS

Benin 97
against Niger after the 2023 coup, tensions meeting that day to discuss the deterioration

between Benin and neighbouring Niger in their working conditions. He was released

increased following Niger9s refusal to open its the same day after being presented to the

borders. This led to an increase in the cost of public prosecutor and after the dockers

living in Benin. announced a strike.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

Steve Amoussou, a Beninese national, was Opposition leader Reckya Madougou

arrested on 12 August in Lomé, Togo, where remained in detention, despite the UN

he was living. He was transferred to Benin, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stating

where he was charged by the Court for the in 2022 that her detention was arbitrary. She

Repression of Economic Offences and was convicted in December 2021 of

Terrorism with <electronic harassment, <complicity in acts of terrorism= and

initiation and publication of false news and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

direct incitement to rebellion=. His trial,

which began on 7 October, was ongoing at EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE

the end of the year. The Beninese authorities On 27 November, the public prosecutor of

claim that he is <Frère Hounvi=, the the Parakou court announced the opening of

pseudonym of a cyber activist known for his an investigation and the arrest of seven police

criticisms of the authorities. ofûcers, after Samba Fayçal Ouorou Gani was

The management of Benin9s leading found dead on 19 November after a police

private media group, La Gazette du Golfe, check.

announced in February the dismissal of its

200 employees after the authorities froze its DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

bank accounts. This followed a decision on 8 Prisoners continued to live in ûlthy,

August 2023 by the High Authority for overcrowded cells without adequate clean
1
Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) to water and medical treatment. According to

suspend <all means of mass communication= the director general of the Prison Agency, as

of the group, in connection with an alleged of September there were more than 19,000

<gloriûcation of a coup d9état= after detainees in Benin9s 11 detention facilities,

comments made on the situation in Niger. around 300% over capacity. Due to lack of

In September, the president of the HAAC space, most prisoners slept on the üoor on

threatened to suspend media outlets that do their side, with no room to turn round. Most

not comply with the authorities9 requirements prisons were not equipped with fans, despite

regarding terrorism-related information. the excessive heat. The air in the buildings

and cells was fetid due to the lack of sanitary

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY facilities. Prisons lacked medical staff, and

On 26 April security forces repressed with prisoners reported that medicine was often

excessive force a trade union protest against denied, unavailable or out of date.

the high cost of living in Cotonou, after the In August, deputies of the National

prefect of the Littoral department banned it Assembly submitted several written questions

on the grounds that no <request for to the government regarding the poor

authorization= had been received. Several conditions in detention and excessive periods

union leaders were arrested and released the of preventive detention.

same day. On 11 May the prefect of the On 9 October, the president adopted a

Littoral department authorized a similar decree <on the organization and internal

protest in Cotonou. regime of prisons=, setting high standards for

On 30 December, several trade unions detainees9 health and hygiene.

issued a statement denouncing the arrest the

previous day of a trade union leader from

Cotonou, who had called for a dockworkers9

98 Amnesty International Report

FORCED EVICTIONS In June, the general commander of the

People forcibly evicted from the district of army led armed vehicles to the government

Fiyégnon in Cotonou in September 2021 in palace in an attempted uprising and was

connection with tourism development arrested shortly afterwards, alongside other

projects along the coast were yet to receive collaborators.

adequate compensation. Residents had not

been appropriately warned of the eviction or HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

when it was planned to take place. Most of Authorities failed to protect human rights

the residents were at home when the defenders, who continued to be stigmatized,

demolition equipment arrived, and the harassed and attacked. Defenders of

demolitions were carried out in the rain, at territory, land and the environment were at

night and at the start of the school year, with particular risk. Park rangers protecting the

consequences for children9s education. Madidi National Park continued to be

subjected to threats and attacks. In August,

ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS human rights defender Waldo Albarracín

On 16 and 17 April, an attack by unidentiûed Sánchez and his family received physical

gunmen on the Monkassa customs post left threats for their historic human rights work.

three people dead, including one member of The work of the Permanent Assembly on

the Beninese defence and security forces. On Human Rights in Bolivia, an NGO in the

the night of 24 July, seven soldiers and ûve capital, La Paz, continued to face serious

African Parks rangers were killed in W obstacles. Its ofûce remained occupied by

National Park, bordering Niger. In recent groups related to political power brokers and

years, attacks by armed groups increased in blocked by police ofûcers, undermining its

border areas, attributed by the authorities to normal casework and functions. Human

Islamic State and Al-Qaeda ûghters from rights organizations signalled the particular

neighbouring countries. risk faced by women defenders, who were

generally overlooked in data relating to

aggressions against human rights defenders.

1. <Benin: Prisoners penned into overcrowded, dirty cells denied

healthcare amid heatwave=, 1 August ± INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

Despite being a state party to Covenant 169

of the ILO, the government failed to

BOLIVIA implement meaningful processes to

guarantee the free, prior and informed

Plurinational State of Bolivia consent of Indigenous Peoples in relation to

extractive projects that affect their territories,

or to respect their right to self-determination

Attacks on and harassment of human rights
or offer security of tenure for their land and
defenders continued. Authorities failed to
territory. The CERD Committee expressed its
fully guarantee Indigenous Peoples9 rights
to self-determination and free, prior and <concern about the alleged violation of the

informed consent. Judicial elections were constitutional right to prior consultation in the

delayed. Authorities9 actions were Ayllu Acre Antequera community=, an

û
insuf cient to combat wild res, which û Indigenous community affected by mining

activities in their territory.

reached record levels.

BACKGROUND RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL

Many people continued to face socio- The UN Special Rapporteur on the

economic obstacles to access their rights to independence of judges and lawyers and the

health, food and water, among others. OAS expressed concern for the right to

independent and impartial judges, after

judicial elections were delayed for more than

Bolivia 99
a year. The elections were partially carried out creating parallel legal and institutional

on 15 December. frameworks in contravention of the BiH

constitution. The UN High Representative in

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT BiH, Christian Schmidt, accused the RS

There were some advances by the legislative authorities of continuing to <actively subvert=

assembly in abolishing a series of laws that the state.

permitted deforestation and the expansion of In March, the EU opened accession

industries such as cattle ranching, industrial- negotiations with BiH, a major milestone

scale agriculture and extractive projects. despite the lack of progress on key reforms.

Nevertheless, in contravention of Bolivia9s The authorities9 failure to adopt the draft

international commitments on carbon Reform Agenda 2024-2027 left BiH as the

emissions, authorities failed to take decisive only Western Balkan country outside of the

action to combat wildûres. These reached EU9s Growth Plan.

record levels during August and September, Major national parties held most municipal

putting people9s rights to housing, health and assemblies in the October local elections, but
1
education, among others, at risk. opposition parties had more success in urban

centres.

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS Following an extended heatwave in

The Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce reported that summer, unprecedented torrential rain in

between January and December 84 October caused üoods and landslides, killing

feminicides had been registered. 26 people and causing the destruction of

hundreds of homes in several municipalities

across the country.

1. <Americas: Open letter to South American presidents on

wildfires=, 23 September ± FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND

ASSOCIATION

Journalists were often targets of verbal

BOSNIA AND threats and attacks, including by public

ofûcials.

HERZEGOVINA In January, amendments to the RS

Criminal Code classifying defamation as a

Bosnia and Herzegovina criminal offence entered into force.

A media investigation in June found that

Criminalization of defamation in Republika recent legal changes and progressively more

Srpska and progressively more restrictive restrictive measures imposed under the

measures countrywide were re ected in a ü pretext of ûghting disinformation had reduced

û
signi cantly lower ranking in the World freedom of expression, especially on social

media, in both RS and the Federation of BiH.

Press Freedom Index. Roma and returnees
In April, the UN Special Rapporteur on the
from the Bosnian war continued to face
widespread discrimination. Reception rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of

conditions for migrants and refugees association called on the authorities to

improved. Genocide denial and glori cation û urgently reverse restrictive laws and practices

of convicted war criminals persisted. that threatened civic space, social cohesion

and democratic institutions.

Protests in support of Palestine took place

BACKGROUND
throughout the year without restrictions.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remained

deeply divided and politically fragile. In May, In May, the RS government withdrew its

Republika Srpska (RS) decided to draft an controversial Law on Special Registry and

agreement on <peaceful disassociation= from Publicity of the Work of NGOs from

the Federation of BiH and passed entity laws parliamentary procedure. This would have

required non-proût organizations to enrol in a

100 Amnesty International Report

special registry, subjected them to increased In June, the Federation of BiH parliament

legal oversight and potentially classiûed them adopted a Strategy for Prevention and

as <agents of foreign inüuence=. RS president Combating of Domestic Violence 2024-2027.

Milorad Dodik said the law would be It aimed to strengthen violence prevention

reintroduced after <further harmonization= measures, improve support for victims and

with European standards. survivors, and set up programmes for work

BiH dropped from 64th to 81st place in with perpetrators.

the World Press Freedom Index published by

Reporters Without Borders. REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

In August, a boat carrying 30 refugees and

DISCRIMINATION migrants, mostly from Syria, capsized on the

Discriminatory provisions in the constitution Drina River on the border with Serbia, killing

and electoral laws at state level continued to at least 11 people, including a nine-month-

deny adequate political representation to old baby.

people who did not identify as one of the The authorities considerably improved

country9s <constituent peoples=: Bosniak, housing conditions for migrants and refugees

Croat or Serb. in reception centres, but the CERD

There was no progress in implementing Committee expressed concern about the

previous judgments and recommendations of continued administrative detention of

the European Court of Human Rights, which migrants, including children.

had found the power-sharing arrangements

in the country discriminatory. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

Roma continued to face social exclusion REPARATION

and discrimination. Most lived in chronic In May, the UN General Assembly adopted a

poverty in inadequate housing and had resolution designating 11 July as an

limited access to formal employment or International Day of Reüection and

public services including healthcare and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in

1
education. The CERD Committee urged Srebrenica. Politicians in the RS continued

authorities to take urgent steps to address to publicly deny genocide and war crimes

systemic racial discrimination against Roma. and glorify convicted war criminals. The

In the Federation of BiH, the long-standing CERD Committee called on the authorities in

<two schools under one roof= system of BiH to investigate and prosecute all incidents

separate schools in the same building with of hate speech.

separate curricula for Bosniak and Croat Courts in RS continued to apply statutes of

pupils, persisted, despite multiple court limitations barring many civil compensation

rulings ûnding the practice to constitute claims ûled by the victims of war crimes,

discrimination. especially in cases of sexual violence, and

In the lead-up to 11 July, the day chosen required victims to cover legal fees when

to commemorate the events in Srebrenica in their claims were dismissed.

1995, incidents of violence against returnees More than 7,500 people remained missing

and internally displaced persons from the as a result of the Bosnian war.

Bosnian war of 1992 to 1995 increased.

Returnees also continued to face limited

access to education, healthcare, social 1. <Bosnia and Herzegovina: Srebrenica resolution an important

protection and employment. recognition for victims and their families=, 23 May ±

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Gender-based violence remained

widespread, with at least 11 women killed by

a partner or family member.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 101

 tons in 2021-22 to 125,184 tons in 2022-23,

BOTSWANA leaving 163,000 people food insecure. The

situation was exacerbated by the El Niño

Republic of Botswana effect, leading to a severe lack of rain and

worsening harvests, putting a further 37,000

Police used unnecessary and excessive people at greater risk of hunger.

force against demonstrators protesting a bill

to grant excessive presidential powers. LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Persistent drought increased the threat of In March, the government introduced a

food insecurity. Religious groups opposed constitutional amendment bill that included

draft amendments which proposed to protections against discrimination for intersex

protect LGBTI people9s rights. Gender-based people and persons with disabilities. The bill

violence continued to rise. The UN urged was opposed, particularly by religious groups

the government to address environmental like the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana

challenges, including access to water. (EFB), who objected to the inclusion of

Botswana continued to sentence people to intersex rights, citing concerns over <morality

death. and the erosion of Christian values=. The EFB

called for a national referendum on the issue.

BACKGROUND

The opposition Umbrella for Democratic GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Change (UDC) party ousted the Botswana Gender-based violence remained widespread

Democratic Party from its 58-year rule in the and continued to rise. WoMen Against Rape,

October general elections. Political analysts a human rights organization ûghting against

linked the UDC9s success to rising corruption, gender-based violence, reported an increase

declining health and education standards, in cases from 2023 and gaps in legal

and depleted public funds under the protection, including the absence of

previous administration. legislation outlawing marital rape. In June,

the UN Population Fund identiûed violence

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY against women as a major public health

In September, protests erupted outside the concern in Botswana. In September, Tonota

National Assembly as parliament debated a District Council reported a rise in sexual

bill that sought to grant the president abuse cases. The police service recorded 47

sweeping powers to appoint key civil threats to kill, 25 murders, 30 sexual abuse

servants. Opposition members boycotted the cases, and 93 rapes and attempted rapes

vote, and police used unnecessary and against women over the Christmas holiday

excessive force against people protesting the period.

bill, injuring several of them. Civil society

groups condemned the violence. The bill RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

failed to pass due to insufûcient In March, following a visit to the country, the

parliamentary support. UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to

a healthy environment urged Botswana to

RIGHT TO FOOD address environmental challenges including

In June, then-president Masisi declared pollution, the climate crisis and access to

2023-2024 an <extreme agricultural drought water. He recommended legal recognition of

year=, raising urgent concerns over food the right to a healthy environment, and the

security. In May, a report by the Rural advancement of renewable energy.

Development Secretariat, an ofûcial body,

highlighted the devastating effects of drought DEATH PENALTY

on food production, water supplies and Botswana continued to sentence people to

nutrition. Crop yields dropped from 206,572 death. There were no executions.

102 Amnesty International Report

 staggering 270% rise in the number of neo-

BRAZIL Nazi groups in the country between 2019

and 2021.

Federative Republic of Brazil After being dismantled by the previous

administration, memory and truth policies

Poverty decreased but persisted for more were partially resumed, including the Special

than a quarter of the population. The child Commission on Political Deaths and

mortality rate decreased; maternal deaths Disappearances.

disproportionately affected Black women. The 2024 national budget showed limited

Deaths from dengue fever and tuberculosis investment in certain social policies,

increased. Unemployment decreased; especially those of the Ministry of Racial

forced evictions and homelessness Equality which are aimed at addressing racial

remained concerning. The education budget inequalities.

was cut. Alarming police violence continued

under the banner of the <war on drugs=. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

Children continued to be at risk of violent The Getúlio Vargas Foundation released data

death, particularly Black youths. Impunity in June showing that poverty had decreased,

persisted for human rights violations but 28% of the population were still

committed by state agents. Brazil remained experiencing poverty in 2023. The latest data

one of the most dangerous countries for from the National Observatory of Inequalities

land rights defenders, especially Indigenous revealed that in 2022 Black people,

and Quilombola defenders. Trials for the especially women, earned substantially less

killings of various human rights defenders than white people.

were ongoing. Deforestation and wild resû

continued unabated in the face of the Right to health

government9s inadequate response. Ofûcial data published in 2024 showed that

Flooding in Rio Grande do Sul particularly in 2023 3,280 women suffered obstetric

affected vulnerable groups. Attacks against maternal deaths, of whom 66% were Black.

Indigenous and Quilombola communities Infant mortality in 2023 had dropped to the

û
remained frequent, mostly due to inef cient lowest rate in 28 years, with 32,006 deaths,

land demarcation policies. Gender-based the majority of which were Black children.

violence increased against women and In 2024, dengue fever cases surged to 6.6

LGBTI people, including femicides and million, leaving 6,041 people dead,

gender-based political violence. Proposed compared with 1.6 million cases and 1,179

legislation threatened access to abortion. deaths in 2023, according to the Ministry of

Health. The same ministry reported that in

BACKGROUND 2023 the death rate from tuberculosis had

In June, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) increased for the second consecutive year.

decriminalized the possession of marijuana Recent studies showed that the number of

for personal use up to a limited amount. This suicides increased by 43% between 2011

was an important but limited step towards the and 2022 despite a 36% reduction in

decriminalization of drugs and the mitigation suicides worldwide. The highest suicide rate

of the disproportionate impact of the drugs by race/ethnicity was among Indigenous

trade on vulnerable groups. People at around 16.6 per 100,000.

The 2024 Violence Atlas report

documented 46,328 violent deaths in 2023, Rights to housing and work

mostly by ûrearms. From 2012 to 2023, a The Brazilian Institute of Geography and

Black person was killed every 12 minutes. Statistics reported a decrease in

According to a 2024 report by the National unemployment, to 7 million unemployed and

Human Rights Council, there had been a 3.1 million <discouraged workers=

(unemployed workers who have lost hope of

Brazil 103
ûnding a job), by the third quarter of 2024. EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE

The Institute of Research on Applied Alarming police violence persisted under the

Economics reported that employment banner of the <war on drugs=. According to

included 48.3 million informal jobs. information released in 2024 by the Brazilian

The Zero Eviction (<Despejo Zero=) civil Public Security Forum, from 2013 to 2023

society coalition claimed there were 1.5 there was a 188.9% increase in homicides

million forced evictions between October committed by police, with 6,393 deaths in

2022 and June 2024. No public data on this 2023. Most of the victims were Black and

was available. young people, accounting for 82.7% and

The latest data from the uniûed register 71.7% of cases, respectively. Racism was

database from federal government gave the also present in violence against the police,

number of 309,023 rough sleepers in 2024. with Black police ofûcers accounting for

The Ministry of Human Rights and 69.7% of police deaths by lethal violence.

Citizenship only had disaggregated data This level of violence affected police

available from 2023 about race 3 68% of ofûcers9 mental health. The Brazilian Public

homeless people were Black people 3 and Security Forum reported that the suicide rate

violence against this population, having among police ofûcers increased by 26.2%

6,268 incidents, mostly physical violence. from 2022 to 2023, with a total of 118 cases.

The army was still deployed in Rio de

RIGHT TO EDUCATION Janeiro state, as it had been since 2010. The

The country faced signiûcant educational Ministry of Justice and Public Security

challenges. In September, the Ministry of outlined programmes to strengthen external

Education9s budget was cut by BRL 1.3 control and oversight of the police.

billion (approximately USD 230 million) for

the remainder of the year. CHILDREN9S RIGHTS

Police operations had a signiûcant impact Congress discussed proposals to reduce the

on education. Redes da Maré, an minimum age of criminal responsibility and

organization based in a favela in Rio de extend sentencing periods for children.

Janeiro, reported that by August 38 police Recently released data from UNICEF

operations had taken place in the Maré area, revealed that between 2021 and 2023 at

disrupting 34 days out of 200 in the school least 15,101 children were victims of violent

year in that area. deaths. Of these, 82.9% were Black children

After a spike in school violence with 16 and adolescents. The mortality risk for Black

episodes in 2023 and seven attacks by young people was 4.4 times higher than that

October 2024, the government announced of white young people over the same period.

new security measures and launched the In 2023, 900 children and adolescents were

School Violence Monitoring and Prevention killed by police.

System in April. In Rio de Janeiro state, the freedom of

movement of Black young people was further

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION restricted by Operation Summer, which

AND ASSEMBLY started in September and was planned to

Data released in 2024 by the Brazilian continue until March 2025, despite being

Association of Investigative Journalism suspended by a court ruling. The operation

reported 330 attacks on journalists in 2023, allowed police ofûcers to conduct searches

including stigmatization, physical assault, on children and adolescents in certain areas

and civil and criminal lawsuits. The majority without clearly deûned criteria and to refer

of the aggressors were state actors, them to social services.

accounting for 55.7% of cases. In April, an important step was taken

towards increasing the protection of the rights

of children and adolescents. A resolution

issued by the National Council for the Rights

104 Amnesty International Report

of Children and Adolescents prohibited the country9s states. In 2024, 1,134 cases were

conûnement of this group in <therapeutic under monitoring, with over half involving

communities= (organizations sheltering Indigenous and Quilombola individuals

people with drug dependence). These (traditional people who are descendants of

institutions are known for several human Africans who escaped slavery). Most threats

rights violations. came from landowners, companies and

public security agents.

IMPUNITY In October, two men were convicted for the

Accountability for human rights violations killing of councillor and human rights

committed by state agents remained poor. A defender Marielle Franco and her driver

decade after 19-year-old Johnatha de Oliveira Anderson Gomes in March 2018. The STF

was shot during a police operation in the accepted the indictment of the individuals

Manguinhos favela of Rio de Janeiro, the accused of ordering the crime, including a

police ofûcer suspected of criminal congressman and the former head of Rio de

responsibility for his death was brought to Janeiro9s Civil Police, who were arrested. The

trial before a jury. The jury decided that he Ethics Committee of the House of

had not intended to kill Johnatha, and the Representatives voted to revoke the mandate

case was downgraded to be reviewed by a of the accused congressman. According to

1
military court. The jury was nulliûed on the media, in June the STF opened an

appeal. It was agreed that a new trial would investigation into the obstruction of justice

take place. targeting a former head of Rio de Janeiro9s

A court acquitted three police ofûcers for state civil police, a former homicide police

the murder of João Pedro Matos, an 11-year- station chief and a police commissioner in

old boy killed inside his home during a police charge of conducting investigations into the

operation in the Complexo do Salgueiro favela crime.

2
in Rio de Janeiro in May 2020. An indictment against the alleged

In the case of Davi Fiuza, who was forcibly perpetrators of the 2022 murder of

disappeared in São Cristóvão, a environmental activists Bruno Pereira and

neighbourhood in the city of Salvador in Dom Phillips was pending appeal. An

Bahia state in 2014, ûve military police investigation into those who had ordered their

ofûcers were charged with abduction and killing was ongoing.

false imprisonment, out of 17 who were Justice progressed for the killings of

indicted. In October, the Superior Court of Quilombola leaders Flávio Gabriel Pacíûco

Justice maintained the jury9s jurisdiction dos Santo (<Binho do Quilombo=) in 2017

despite the defendants9 request to be brought and his mother Mãe Bernardete Pacíûco in

to trial before a military court. The case was 2023. Binho9s alleged killers were arrested

still awaiting trial. and an indictment for Mãe Bernardete

Pacíûco9s homicide was ûled in court.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Global Witness highlighted Brazil as the RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

second most dangerous country for land and According to the National Institute for Space

territorial rights defenders in 2023, Research, Brazil accounted for 54.5% of

particularly Indigenous Peoples. Despite a South America9s wildûres in 2024, and

legal mandate from 2007, a national plan for deforestation in the Cerrado and Amazon

human rights defenders was still not ready. zones reached 8,237.9km², primarily on rural

From 2020 to May 2024, the National lands. Mining activities affected 66.2km²,

Human Rights Ombudsman received 2,332 encroaching on protected areas and

complaints regarding violations against Indigenous lands. The Ministry for the

human rights defenders. The Protection Environment was unable to provide Amnesty

Programme for Human Rights Defenders International with a list of mining companies

operated in fewer than half (10) of the responsible for environmental damage.

Brazil 105
The government9s response to wildûres and between farmers, state agencies, and

deforestation during the year was delayed, Indigenous groups was established by the

with major initiatives only starting in June and STF. Indigenous People abandoned these

intensifying in September. meetings claiming they were not allowed

During the year, 58% of Brazil faced the meaningful participation.

worst drought in 75 years, with a third of the According to the Ministry of Indigenous

population experiencing severe conditions. Peoples, 537,941 Indigenous People faced

Flooding in Rio Grande do Sul state food insecurity in 2024, one of the adverse

affected 2.3 million people and displaced effects of non-Indigenous exploitation of

600,000, leading to a state of emergency in natural resources.

27 cities. Ofûcial data reported 806 injuries,

183 deaths and 28 missing resulting from the Quilombolas

üood. Vulnerable groups were especially Quilombolas continued to suffer violence and

affected, including 16,691 Indigenous lacked state protection. According to a recent

People. By August, the state9s health report from the National Coordination of the

department had reported 788 conûrmed Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola

cases of leptospirosis and 2,844 cases under Communities and the NGO Terra de Direitos,

investigation, resulting in 26 deaths, between 2018 and 2022 at least 32

alongside 10 outbreaks of acute diarrhoeal Quilombola people were killed in 11 states,

disease. the main causes being land conüict and

gender-based violence. According to the

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS Ministry of Racial Equality, 126 Quilombola

Data released in July by the Missionary communities experienced conüicts during

Indigenous Council revealed that, in 2023, at January and February. The Palmares Cultural

least 208 Indigenous People were murdered. Foundation reported that the land of 3,051

Additionally, 1,040 Indigenous children up to Quilombola communities had been certiûed,

the age of four died from mostly preventable with 262 still being processed in 2024.

causes, and 180 suicides were reported. According to the Brazilian Institute of

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Geography and Statistics, only 12.6% of the

reported that 652 cases of land conüict were total Quilombola population were living in

under review by the second half of 2024. In ofûcially demarcated territories (a recognition

August, violent attacks increased against the stage prior to titling) and 4.3% living in titled

Guarani Kaiowá community in Mato Grosso territories.

do Sul state and the Ava-Guarani in Paraná Racism was prevalent, evidenced by the

state. In September, Neri Guarani Kaiowá, a Ministry of Human Rights9 reporting an 80%

23-year-old Indigenous man, was killed by increase in human rights violations against

police ofûcers during an operation in Afro-Brazilian religious communities. In the

Nhanderu Marangatu Indigenous land in ûrst half of 2024, 342 violations were

Barra Farm, in the city of Antonio João, Mato documented by the Ministry of Racial

Grosso do Sul state. Equality.

These conüicts largely stemmed from the

lack of land demarcation, the demarcation SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

process having been completed for 601 Data from Brazil9s Public Security Annuary

Indigenous lands and 731 still pending in highlighted an increase in violence against

2024. Law 14.701 3 approved at the end of women. A report published in July stated that

2023 3 declared that only those lands in 2023, Brazil recorded 1,467 femicides, an

occupied when the federal constitution of increase of 0.8% on the previous year, 63%

1988 was promulgated could be demarcated, affecting Black women and 64% occurring at

which undermined Indigenous rights. Despite home. There were 258,941 reports of

previous court rulings deeming this physical assaults, a rise of 9.8%. There were

unconstitutional, a conciliation mechanism 894,511 cases of psychological violence,

106 Amnesty International Report

threats and stalking, all of which had 2. <João Pedro case: There is no self-defence when an unarmed child

increased. A total of 540,255 emergency is killed inside their home by police action=, 10 July (Portuguese

protective measures were granted, 26.7% only) ±

more than the previous year. Sexual violence

had also increased, with 83,988 rapes, a

6.5% increase, of which 88% were against BULGARIA

women and girls, 52% against Black people,

and 76% against children under 13 years Republic of Bulgaria

old. Despite these numbers, National Gender

Violence Map found that 61% of incidents go Independent journalists and media fought
unreported. numerous defamation lawsuits. Parliament
LGBTI people faced severe threats, with introduced amendments prohibiting <LGBTI
7,673 human rights violations reported to the propaganda= in schools but rejected other
human rights hotline last year. In a report amendments that would have further
published in 2024, the human rights group undermined LGBTI rights. Anti-immigrant
Grupo Gay da Bahia reported 257 violent attacks increased. A Saudi activist was at
deaths in 2023, mainly affecting young Black risk of deportation. Systematic failures
transgender people. At least 5,537 LGBTI continued to plague psychiatric care.
people had been violently killed between Measures to strengthen protection for
2000 and 2023. Transgender Europe victims of domestic violence were pending.
conûrmed in a report published in 2024 that

Brazil had the highest number of transgender BACKGROUND

murders globally between October 2022 and In October, Bulgarians went to the polls for

September 2023. the seventh time in three years. The

In a year in which mayors and city protracted political instability left the

councillors were elected across the country, Ombudsman role vacant since April.

gender-based political violence remained a An intense heatwave led to wildûres and

concern, with ofûcial data showing 455 water shortages.

reported violations. The Federal Public

Prosecutor9s Ofûce was actively monitoring FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

91 cases of gender-based political violence in Independent journalists and media reporting

2023 and 2024. on organized crime and corruption faced

strategic lawsuits against public participation.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS In January, the Soûa City Court rejected a

Bill 1904/24 threatened the rights of people libel claim by an insurance company for an

accessing abortion by proposing that unprecedented BGN 1 million in damages

abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy would (about EUR 500,000) against e-magazine

be considered murder and increasing Mediapool over a story about the Green Card

penalties to 20 years9 imprisonment for system in Bulgaria. Mediapool9s editor-in-

anyone involved, even for pregnancies chief called the ruling, which was not ûnal,

resulting from rape. This bill and other similar <an important victory= for media freedom.

propositions were still under discussion in In April, minister of interior Kalin Stoyanov

parliament. The Ministry of Women reported ûled a defamation lawsuit against the Bureau

that the prohibition of abortion for Investigative Reporting and Data over the

disproportionately affected women living in outlet9s reporting on alleged corruption in the

poverty. ministry. Media Freedom Rapid Response

said the lawsuit was designed to <silence

legitimate investigative reporting=.

1. <10 years of fighting for justice for Johnatha=, 6 March In a landmark ruling in June, the European

(Portuguese only) ± Court of Human Rights found that Bulgaria

Bulgaria 107
had violated the rights to a fair trial and people in Bulgaria reported being bullied in

freedom of expression of journalist Rosen school due to their sexual orientation or

Bossev, who was found guilty of defamation gender identity.

in a criminal case in 2019. The court ILGA-Europe, an LGBTI-rights NGO,

concluded that his conviction was not made ranked Bulgaria as the third lowest-

by an <impartial tribunal= and violated performing country in the EU for the

freedom of expression. protection of LGBTI rights in 2024.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION DISCRIMINATION

In September the so-called Foreign Agents Roma continued to face discrimination in all

Bill, introduced for the fourth time by the pro- walks of life. In July the Supreme

Russia party Revival, was defeated in a Administrative Court ruled that the former

parliamentary committee. The bill would leader of the Bulgarian National Movement

prohibit foreign-funded organizations from Party, Krasimir Karakachanov, engaged in

carrying out activities in educational discriminatory harassment due to anti-Roma

institutions and in some ministries. statements made in 2019, which triggered

An NGO from Stara Zagora was denied widespread anti-Roma violence.

municipal funding after its founder criticized Against the backdrop of disinformation and

border police for ill-treating migrants. hostile rhetoric by politicians in the lead-up to

the European Parliament elections in April,

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS there was an increase in xenophobic

In July, the European Court of Human Rights incidents, including physical attacks on

retroactively found the case of Y.T. v Bulgaria, asylum seekers and foreign nationals.

a trans man who was denied legal recognition

of his gender identity, to be inadmissible. The REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

court urged Bulgaria to set up a transparent Although the number of people travelling the

and accessible framework for legal gender so-called Balkans route towards western

recognition. Europe dropped, pushbacks and violence

In August, in an urgent procedure, persisted on the Bulgarian border with

parliament adopted amendments to the Law Turkey.

on Pre-School and School Education, which A Saudi activist, Abdulrahman al-Khalidi,

prohibited the provision of information about who was awaiting a ûnal decision in the

<non-traditional sexual orientation= and asylum process in Bulgaria, was at risk of

<gender identity different from biological sex= deportation to Saudi Arabia. Despite a court

in schools. Rights organizations strongly ordering his release, he remained in

opposed the legislation, calling it a direct administrative detention in the Busmantsi

assault on fundamental freedoms of the Detention Centre near Soûa and was denied
1
LGBTI community. Teachers across Bulgaria adequate medical and psycho-social support.

faced threats for opposing the legislation. The Human rights organizations warned that if

leader of Revival, the party which initiated the deported, he would be at risk of torture and
3
amendments, threatened to ûle criminal other serious human rights violations.

charges against teachers who <want to push

homosexual propaganda=. RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In September, parliament rejected In January, the European Committee for the

amendments to the Child Protection Act Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or

introducing criminalization of gender- Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)

afûrming healthcare for minors and noted that patients in psychiatric institutions

draconian ûnes for healthcare professionals continued to lack adequate psycho-social

2
providing this care. care, which was <neglectful and harmful to

According to an EU Agency for patients=. The CPT criticized the Ministry of

Fundamental Rights survey, 72% of LGBTI

108 Amnesty International Report

Health for failing to prevent and punish

persistent ill-treatment of patients. 1. <Bulgaria: Ban of 8LGBTI propaganda9 in schools is attack on the

In April, rights organizations reported entire LGBTI community=, 8 August ±

widespread abuses of people with disabilities, 2. <Bulgaria: Rejection of attempts to criminalise gender-affirming

including torture and other ill-treatment, healthcare a welcome block against rising tide of hate=, 27

ûnancial and verbal abuse, neglect and September ±

isolation in institutions, including small group 3. <Bulgaria should not deport Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-

homes. Khalidi and should immediately release him=, 12 March ±

In August, a 57-year-old patient died in a

ûre in a psychiatric hospital in Varna. An

investigation by the Ombudsman9s Ofûce BURKINA FASO

found that the patient was immobilized at the

time and left without supervision, while the Burkina Faso

hospital complex itself was severely

understaffed, with only one doctor on duty.

People accused of plotting against the state

were arbitrarily arrested. Activists,

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE journalists and magistrates were victims of
In March, Together against Violence, a enforced disappearances. The continuing
coalition of 37 rights organizations, asked the ü
armed con ict resulted in hundreds of
authorities to urgently implement the 2023 civilian deaths and the blockades of several
amendments to the Law on Domestic towns. Media organizations were temporarily
Violence, including improving risk closed. The government planned to
assessment procedures and coordination
criminalize consensual same-sex sexual
between institutions.
relations in the amended Personal and
The National Council for Prevention of and Family Code.
Protection from Domestic Violence ofûcially

started working. In September, the

BACKGROUND
government adopted the Programme for the In January, Burkina Faso announced its

Prevention of and Protection from Domestic intention to leave ECOWAS in a joint

Violence 2024-2026, which included
declaration with Mali and Niger. In July a
measures to strengthen education and
Confederation of Sahelian States, uniting
prevention programmes and provide support
these three countries, was announced.
for the victims of domestic violence. In May the political transition, which

Women9s rights organizations reported that started in January 2022 and was due to end

at least 18 women died due to domestic in July, was extended for a further ûve years.

violence in 2024. The conüict continued to rage between

government forces and the armed groups the

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims
Despite a previous commitment to speed up
(GSIM) and the Islamic State in the Sahel.
the phase-out of coal-ûred plants, in April Burkinabe authorities claimed to have

parliament postponed a vote on the Climate reconquered 69% of the country as of

Neutrality Roadmap. Protests by coal and August.

power plant workers fearing job losses slowed As of May, there were more than 2 million
down Bulgaria9s green transition.
internally displaced people due to the
The Ministry of Environment and Water
conüict. In November the government froze
concealed from the public that the air quality
the assets of a more than 100 individuals,
monitoring system in Soûa failed to including exiled opponents and critics that it

accurately report pollution levels. accused of involvement in terrorism.

Bulgaria dropped from 36th to 46th place

in the Climate Change Performance Index.

Burkina Faso 109

ARBITRARY DETENTION In August, seven magistrates were arrested

In January, Evrard Somda, former high and forcibly disappeared after they received a

commander of the National Gendarmerie, conscription order from the authorities to be

was accused of involvement in a coup plot deployed to the front line. A few days before

and arrested. He remained in their arrests, a court in Bobo-Dioulasso ruled

incommunicado detention at the end of the that some of the conscription orders were

year. illegal and a violation of their human rights.

Guy-Hervé Kam, a lawyer, was also Some of the conscripted magistrates had

arrested in January over accusations of been investigating alleged crimes by

involvement in a coup plot and held supporters of the authorities.

incommunicado. Several court injunctions

ordering his release were not implemented. UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

During his eventual release on 29 May, he Abuses by armed groups

was re-arrested by state security forces and

On 25 February an armed group attacked
presented before a military judge, who
and killed 15 worshippers at a Catholic
accused him of plotting against state security
church in Essakane, Sahel region, according
and remanded him in custody. He was freed
to media and local sources. On the same day
and placed under judicial review on 10 July.
an armed group attacked and killed at least
He was arrested and detained again in
14 worshippers at a mosque in Natiaboani,
August after another summons before a
Est region.
military court.
In August around 200 people, including
Emmanuel Zoungrana, a former military
civilians, were reportedly killed by the GSIM
commander who was accused of <plotting
in Barsalogho while digging trenches.
against state security= in January 2022, was
On 25 August the GSIM attacked and
re-arrested in May despite court orders
killed 26 civilians at a church in Kounla,
1
calling for his provisional release.
Boucle du Mouhoun region.

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES
Violations by government forces
In February, Bassirou Badjo and Rasmane
In February the Burkinabe military unlawfully
Zinaba, two members of the citizen9s
killed at least 223 civilians, including at least
movement Balai Citoyen, were forcibly
56 children, during an operation in the
disappeared before being forcibly
villages of Soro and Nodin, according to
conscripted to the front line, despite a
Human Rights Watch. An investigation into
November 2023 court ruling calling for the
the killings was announced by the
suspension of their conscription.
Ouahigouya High Court.
In June, Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the
In May the French newspaper Libération
biweekly investigative newspaper
reported that hundreds of civilians were killed
L9Évènement, along with journalist Alain
by the military and its proxy forces in
Traoré and television presenters Kalifara Séré
Marmiga and several villages near Mansila
and Adama Bayala, were arrested, allegedly
during a supply operation to besieged towns
by security services, and forcibly
in the east.
disappeared. In October the government

announced that Atiana Serge Oulon, Kalifara

RIGHT TO INFORMATION
Séré and Adama Bayala had been
In April the Higher Communications Council
conscripted for military service but gave no
(CSC) suspended the broadcasters TV5
information on the whereabouts of Alain
Monde, BBC and Voice of America, as well as
Traoré.
access to the websites of nine international
In June, former military commander Yves
media organizations, for two weeks in
Didier Bamouni was abducted by
retaliation for their reporting on the Nodin
unidentiûed actors. His whereabouts
and Soro massacres.
remained undisclosed at the end of the year.

110 Amnesty International Report

In June the CSC suspended for one month all the Rights of the Child 3 both ratiûed by

editions of the Burkinabe news organization Burkina Faso 3 and could encourage child

L9Évènement, denouncing <breaches of law marriage. The draft Code, sent to parliament

and journalism ethics=, following the in July, was yet to be voted on and enacted.

publication of an article alleging

embezzlement of funds intended for the LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, The draft Personal and Family Code would

an auxiliary force of the army. The decision criminalize consensual same-sex sexual

was overruled by an administrative court on relations, as well as those who defend or

12 July. In August, L9Évènement announced promote them, if passed.

the suspension of its activities.

TV5 Monde was again suspended for six DEATH PENALTY

months by the CSC in June, following an In November the government announced its

interview it conducted with Newton Ahmed intention to reintroduce the death penalty.

Barry, an exiled public ûgure and critic of the

military regime.

In December, the daily newspaper 1. <Burkina Faso: Authorities must immediately release Guy Hervé

L9Observateur Paalga was summoned by the Kam and Lt-Colonel Zoungrana=, 31 May ±

CSC after publishing an article about the

Malian army.

BURUNDI
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

The continued sieges by armed groups Republic of Burundi

against several cities and towns continued to

affect people9s access to farmlands, causing Journalists and others who spoke out
a spike in cost of living, and forced against authority ûgures faced arbitrary
displacement of civilians. As of November, arrest, detention and physical attacks.
the Humanitarian Response Plan 3 led by Certain offences by the media were
OCHA 3 had only received 40% of funding decriminalized. The government continued
pledged by the government and donors for
to interfere in the internal affairs of the
healthcare, education and shelter among
political opposition. Arrests and enforced
other things.
disappearances of opposition members
continued. Healthcare for detainees was
Right to education inadequate. The Truth and Reconciliation
The conüict had forced the closure of 5,319 Commission9s mandate expanded to include
schools as of March, affecting 818,149 land disputes. Discrimination against LGBTI
pupils, according to the Ministry of
people and unmarried women continued.
Education. However, according to UNICEF,
The cost-of-living crisis worsened with rising
1,304 schools were reopened during the year
fuel and food prices. There were more than
and 440,945 internally displaced pupils were 86,000 internally displaced people due to
enrolled. climate-related extreme weather, and more

than 289,500 Burundians remained as

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS refugees in neighbouring countries.
The preliminary draft decree of the new

Personal and Family Code raised the legal

BACKGROUND
age of marriage of men and women to 18
Ahead of the 2025 legislative and local
years, in conformity with international law. elections, a new electoral code, adopted in

The draft Code stipulated that the minimum June, signiûcantly increased the deposits

legal age could be reduced to 16 if candidates must pay to stand in elections.

authorized by a judge, which would be

contrary to CEDAW and the Convention on

Burundi 111
The ûrst national census since 2008 took independent media houses) and other private

place in September, collecting data on media organizations faced physical attacks,

population, housing, agriculture and arrests and detention. On 6 June, Iwacu

livestock. received a warning from the National

Tensions with Rwanda persisted. In Communication Council, an ofûcial body, on

January, Burundi closed the border with the grounds of <serious professional

Rwanda in response to attacks claimed by misconduct=, which cited several articles

the armed group Resistance for the Rule of published by Iwacu, without indicating

Law in Burundi (RED-Tabara), which the UN speciûc concerns. On the night of 25 June,

Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic unidentiûed people threw stones for several

of the Congo accused Rwanda of supporting. hours into Iwacu9s ofûce compound in
3
Burundian armed forces continued their Bujumbura.

deployment in the eastern region of the The media law was revised for the fourth

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), time since 2013, with the introduction of

under a bilateral agreement signed in what was described as a partial

February between Burundi and the DRC, decriminalization of press offences. Under

following the East African Community the new law, promulgated by the president in

Regional Force9s withdrawal in December July, the punishment for anyone who

2023. publishes or broadcasts information

In June, the Sub-Committee on constituting the offences of <insult=, <harmful

Accreditation of the Global Alliance of imputation=, <contempt=, <dissemination of

National Human Rights Institutions false news=, <public outrage against good

recommended that Burundi9s National morals=, <slanderous denunciation=,

Independent Human Rights Commission be <invasion of privacy=, <attack on the

downgraded due to insufûcient presumption of innocence= and <revelation of

independence and effectiveness. In October the identity of a victim of sexual violence=,

the UN Human Rights Council renewed the was reduced to a ûne rather than a prison

mandate of the Special Rapporteur on sentence.

Burundi. The government continued to interfere in

the internal affairs of the National Congress

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION for Liberty (CNL) opposition party. In March,

AND ASSEMBLY the interior minister refused the CNL

On 13 February the Cassation Chamber of president, Agathon Rwasa, permission to

the Supreme Court upheld journalist Floriane hold an extraordinary congress. The same

Irangabiye9s conviction, which related to her month, the minister formally, and rapidly,

criticism of the government. On 14 August, acknowledged the report and outcomes of an

she received a presidential pardon. She was extraordinary congress of CNL members
1
released on 16 August. opposed to Agathon Rwasa at which he was

Journalist Sandra Muhoza was arrested on replaced as party leader. Agathon Rwasa9s

12 April and later charged with <endangering replacement, Nestor Girukwishaka, was

internal state security= and <ethnic aversion= considered to be close to the ruling National

for comments she made in a WhatsApp Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces
2
group. Her trial, scheduled for 5 September, for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD)

was postponed reportedly because there was party.

no fuel to transport prisoners to the court. In

a hearing on 12 November the prosecution ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

sought a 12-year sentence. On 16 December Arrests of opposition political party members

she was convicted and sentenced to 21 were reported regularly, including members

months in prison. of the Movement for Solidarity and

Several journalists working for Iwacu Democracy, Front for Democracy in Burundi

newspaper (one of the last remaining and CNL. In March, CNL members loyal to

112 Amnesty International Report

Agathon Rwasa were arrested on their way to renewed for a further four years. In a

and outside the congress where he was signiûcant expansion of its remit, it assumed

replaced (see above). responsibility for cases that were left

Trade unionist Émilienne Sibomana was unresolved by the National Commission for

released from prison on 21 November, more Land and Other Properties (CNTB) when the

than four months after her acquittal on 28 latter9s mandate ended in 2022, as well as

June by the Gitega Court of Appeal on new land dispute cases. Between 2006 and

charges of <slanderous denunciation=. She 2022, the CNTB was charged with resolving

had been arrested in January 2023, the day land disputes relating to returning refugees

after she accused a school principal of sexual and internally displaced people who had üed

abuse during a public meeting at which the during past periods of violence. The CVR law

education minister was present. states that there is no judicial appeal for its

decisions.

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

The Forum for Consciousness and DISCRIMINATION

Development, a Burundian NGO, Both the prosecution and defence lodged

documented 34 cases of enforced appeals in the case of 24 people arrested in

disappearance between January and June, the capital, Gitega, at a workshop on

primarily of political opposition party economic inclusion in February 2023. They,

members. There was no news on the fate or and two others later added to the case, had

whereabouts of 24 of them by the end of been prosecuted for <homosexuality= and

June. <incitement to debauchery=. In January the

Gitega Court of Appeal acquitted all 26

INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS defendants on the <homosexuality= charge.

Prisoners were denied access to adequate Five people were found guilty of <inciting

medical care and family visits. Prisons were debauchery= and sentenced to one year in

chronically overcrowded. prison and a ûne. They were released in

Christophe Sahabo, who was arrested in February.

April 2022 in a dispute over the management High-level ofûcials continued to use violent

of Kira Hospital, remained in detention with and inüammatory rhetoric against LGBTI

major delays in his court case. During a people. During a speech for International

hearing at Muha High Court in Bujumbura on Women9s Day in March, President

10 September, he vomited and collapsed and Ndayishimiye stated in Kirundi: <I9ve said it

was transferred to hospital where he and I repeat it, homosexuals should be

underwent tests and began treatment. publicly stoned.=

Despite a recommendation to keep him Ofûcials in several provinces conducted a

under medical observation for several days, campaign against <concubinage= (the

he was transferred back to Ruyigi Prison cohabitation of a married person with

(160km from the hospital) on 12 September. someone who is not their spouse, which is

His family members were refused access to illegal under Burundian law). As a result,

him in prison on 14 September. Two between January and June, 900 women and

independent doctors reviewed Christophe 3,600 children were driven from their homes

Sahabo9s medical notes and test results and in Ngozi Province. Also in Ngozi Province, the

conûrmed that his condition was potentially governor issued a deadline of 30 June for

life-threatening and required urgent medical 1,300 couples not registered with the civil
4
attention. registry to regularize their marriages.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

REPARATION Burundi9s strained economic situation

In May the mandate of the Truth and deteriorated and the government failed to

Reconciliation Commission (CVR) was respond effectively. High inüation rates and a

Burundi 113
scarcity of hard currency contributed to December 2024. The Tanzanian Ministry of

severe fuel shortages which left commuters Home Affairs subsequently assured UNHCR,

struggling to get to work. Food prices the UN refugee agency, that the camps there

increased steeply 3 the price of sugar, for would remain open and no one would be

example, rose by 150% in mid-September. In forced to return.

July, the price of potatoes was 45% above

the ûve-year average.

As in previous election cycles, from August 1. Burundi: Rhetoric Versus Reality: Repression of Civil Society

onwards there were widespread reports of Continues under President Ndayishimiye9s Government, 21

individuals and businesses being forced to August ±

pay contributions to the CNDD-FDD party, 2. Burundi: At a Critical Juncture for Burundi, the Special

with access to services denied to those who Rapporteur9s Mandate Remains Vital, 29 August ±

refused. 3. <Burundi: End intimidation of media as 2025 elections

approach=, 4 July ±

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT 4. <Burundi: Jailed doctor needs urgent medical care: Dr Christophe

As of December, 86,159 people remained Sahabo=, 18 September ±

internally displaced, 93% of them due to

extreme weather events in part driven by

climate change, including torrential rains, CAMBODIA

landslides and üooding of rivers and the

shores of Lake Tanganyika, which affected at Kingdom of Cambodia

least 298,000 people overall. The World

Weather Attribution initiative called on

Human rights violations continued
Burundi to improve its existing disaster
unabated. Thousands of families in Angkor
preparedness policies and early warning continued to live under threat of forced
systems to reduce the impacts of such eviction, while thousands already evicted
events. With the support of UNDP, the were denied remedy and remained living in
government launched a USD 10 million inadequate housing, struggling with debt
climate resilience project in September in and without work. Ninety-seven people,
some of the most affected areas in and
including children, were arrested for
around Bujumbura.
peacefully expressing their opinions, and

subsequently charged with incitement and

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS plotting, showing the extent of the
There were 289,621 Burundian refugees deterioration of civic space. An
living in neighbouring countries as of 31 internationally renowned journalist was
December; 20,081 refugees returned to arrested after extensively reporting about
Burundi from countries in the region,
the scamming industry, which continued to
primarily Tanzania, in 2024. Returnees
üourish with impunity.
constituted 7% of internally displaced people

inside Burundi. In the Kirundo and Cankuzo

BACKGROUND
border provinces, that proportion rose to 35% Hun Manet, the prime minister, leader of the

and 21%, respectively. ruling political party and the Cambodian

The Tanzanian authorities sent mixed People9s Party, continued the same policies
messages about the future of Burundian
as his predecessor and father, Hun Sen.
refugees in the country. In March, Tanzania9s

Kigoma Regional Commissioner held a mass

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
meeting with refugees, reiterating calls on People continued to live under the threat of

Burundian refugees to voluntarily register for forced evictions at the UNESCO World

repatriation, adding that refugee status would Heritage site of Angkor. Previous mass forced

be rescinded in January 2025 and that evictions had occurred in violation of

Nduta camp would be closed by 31

114 Amnesty International Report

international human rights law, and including environmental, human rights and

authorities failed to adequately inform people other activists, were unlawfully detained and

or meaningfully consult with them prior to the charged for peacefully expressing their views.

evictions. Authorities also intimidated and Authorities charged at least 21 people with

threatened many into not questioning the incitement to commit a felony, a charge often

evictions, which resulted in relocation to spuriously brought against human rights

places that did not have housing, adequate activists. The UN Special Rapporteur on the

water, sanitation facilities, or access to situation of human rights in Cambodia

livelihoods. previously expressed concern about the

UNESCO requested Cambodia submit a improper use of such incitement charges. At

report that addressed <possible forced least 33 people faced charges of plotting

population displacements= and included <a against the state, including four members

response to the Amnesty International from the Khmer Student Intelligent League

allegations=. In February, the government Association. Incitement carries a penalty of

published a State of Conservation report that up to two years in prison, while plotting

failed to provide any veriûable information on carries a punishment of up to 10 years.

how families were selected for relocation. It In a speech on 12 August, former prime

asserted, without evidence, that only minister and current senate president Hun

<squatters= were relocated. The report also Sen made public threats against CLV critics,

failed to provide accessible links to previous including Hay Vanna, an opposition activist

research, maps or land surveys to indicate living in Japan. On 16 August, Cambodian

how the government undertook its authorities arrested Hay Vannith, Vanna9s

assessment of the <illegality= of households brother, a Health Ministry civil servant. They

within Angkor. did not provide information about his

The Run Ta Ek resettlement site for evicted whereabouts until 20 August, raising

families continued to lack basic concerns that he had been forcibly

infrastructure, such as roads and drainage, disappeared. His family only learned he was

and many houses did not have access to in custody after an audio recording of a

piped water. Many residents were heavily supposed confession by Hay Vannith to

indebted to predatory microûnance overthrow the government was posted on 21

institutions and reported using their social August on the government spokesperson9s

welfare cards and land titles as collateral for Facebook page.

the loans. On 20 September, Hun Sen revealed

A decision approved by the World Heritage Cambodia would withdraw from the CLV, but

Committee fell short of calling on the charges against many of those charged with

government to make an explicit commitment crimes relating to the CLV had not been
2
not to engage in forced evictions in Angkor, dropped by the end of the year.
1
but a monitoring mission was requested. Thirty-nine political activists or members of

opposition parties remained imprisoned,

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY often on spurious charges and unfair

Arbitrary arrests and detentions convictions for crimes such as incitement to

commit a felony, plotting, and insulting the

Authorities arbitrarily arrested at least 94
king. Most had spent months in pretrial
people, including several children, between
detention. Prisoner of conscience and leader
July and October, for publicly criticizing the
of the former main opposition party, Kem
Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development
Sokha, was charged with conspiracy with a
Triangle Area (CLV). The CLV is a
foreign power and sentenced to 27 years in
development plan between the governments
prison.
of Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam established

in 2004 to facilitate cooperation on trade and

migration. At least 59 of those arrested,

Cambodia 115
Environmental defenders and the right to a

healthy environment CAMEROON

On 5 June, ûve environmental activists from

the Mother Nature movement refused to Republic of Cameroon

enter the courtroom because authorities

arbitrarily prevented some media and People critical of the authorities were
supporters from monitoring their public prosecuted and threatened with restrictions
hearing. The hearing proceeded despite the on their right to freedom of movement, and
3
absence of all charged activists. journalists were intimidated by security
On 2 July, 10 activists associated with the forces. Anglophone leaders, activists and
movement were convicted of plotting and journalists as well as opposition activists
insulting the king. The charges related to were arbitrarily detained. Armed separatists
Mother Nature9s public activism since 2012. were responsible for murders and attacks

against schools in North-west and South-

Journalists west regions, and armed groups killed
Award-winning journalist Mech Dara was civilians in Far North region.
arrested by military police on 30 September.

On 1 October he was charged with BACKGROUND

incitement under articles 494 and 495 of the A year before the 2025 presidential elections,

Cambodian Criminal Code. Dara is known for political tensions mounted and armed conüict

his journalism with numerous leading and violence continued in the Far North,

Cambodian news outlets which have since North-west and South-west regions. More

been closed by the government, or its allies, than 580,000 people were displaced by

essentially silencing all domestic independent armed violence in the North-west and South-

media. He had won awards for his west regions. In September, Norwegian police

investigative reporting on corruption and arrested Lucas Cho Ayaba, one of the main

Cambodia9s scam compounds, locations Anglophone separatist leaders, on suspicion

where human trafûcking and torture were of incitement to commit crimes against
4
regularly reported. humanity in Cameroon.

Between January and October, üooding in

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND FORCED Far North region affected 356,730 people,

LABOUR killing at least 30.

Human trafûcking, forced labour, slavery,

torture and child labour continued to occur FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

across the country, particularly in In a decree issued on 16 July, the senior

compounds where online cryptocurrency, divisional ofûcer of Mfoundi division, a

5
gambling and gaming scams were run. geographical area which includes the capital,

Yaoundé, stated that <anyone who

dangerously insults the [state] institutions or

1. <Cambodia: World Heritage Committee must ensure UNESCO the person who embodies them= could be

decision addresses Angkor forced evictions=, 19 July ± banned from staying in Mfoundi. Two days

2. <Cambodia: Arrests target critics of regional development zone=, later, the communications minister issued a

28 August ± press release stating that <it is unacceptable

3. <Cambodia: Conviction of youth activists a further blow to for compatriots& to use irreverent language=

Cambodia9s environmental movement=, 2 July ± about the president, Paul Biya, <who was

4. <Cambodia: Charges against journalist highlight clampdown on freely and overwhelmingly elected by his

press freedom=, 2 October ± fellow citizens.=

5. <Cambodia: Review of the Universal Periodic Review at 57th Junior Ngombe, a hairdresser and social

session of the UN Human Rights Council=, 1 October ± media activist, was released on bail on 31

July by a military court after seven days9

116 Amnesty International Report

detention at the Secretariat of State for The UN Working Group on Arbitrary

Defence in Yaoundé, where he had been Detention considered their detention arbitrary

transferred after his arrest in Douala on 24 and urged the Cameroonian authorities to

July. He had shared videos on social media release them.

urging Cameroonian youth to register to vote Kingsley Njoka, a freelance journalist from

for the upcoming presidential election and the Anglophone North-west region who had

denouncing the control of the country by the been arrested in 2020, initially held

ruling party. incommunicado, and charged with

Cameroonian activist Yves Kibouy Bershu, secessionism and complicity in an armed

known as Ramon Cotta, was arrested on 19 group, was sentenced on 24 September by a

July in Gabon and transferred to Cameroon military tribunal to 10 years in jail.

on 23 July without any known legal or Forty-one activists and opposition leaders

diplomatic procedure. He was charged with remained arbitrarily detained after being

<apology for the crime of secession, illegal sentenced by military courts for taking part in

acquisition of weapons of war, contempt of a march on 22 September 2022, organized

constituted bodies and lack of a national by the Cameroon Renaissance Movement

identity card= and transferred on 9 October to opposition party.

pretrial detention in Kondengui central prison

in Yaoundé. Videos he had posted on social ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS

media criticized the Cameroonian authorities North-west and South-west regions

and the Cameroonian embassy in Gabon.

In the two Anglophone regions, real or
On 3 October the National Trade Union of
suspected armed separatists continued to
Journalists of Cameroon issued a declaration
carry out murders, hostage-taking for
denouncing pressure by security ofûcers on
ransoms and extortion, targeting defence and
media outlets <to silence those who express
security forces, political and administrative
criticisms against the authorities=.
authorities, civil servants and other civilians
On 9 October, following rumours about the
they accused of not complying with their
health of the president, the minister of
rules, including lockdowns and a <liberation
territorial administration banned <any media
tax=.
debate on the state of the President of the
On 11 February, during the Cameroon
Republic=, in a letter addressed to the
Youth Celebrations, a home-made bomb
country9s governors.
killed one person and injured more than 100

others in Nkambe, North-west region. On 26

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
May a grenade attack on a bar in Bamenda,
On 6 December the minister of territorial
North-west region killed two people and
administration issued a decree banning or
injured 41.
suspending for three months the activities of
On 20 May, the mayor of Belo, Boyo
several organizations, including the Central
division, North-West region, his deputy and
Africa Human Rights Defenders Network,
an inspector of basic education were shot
based on accusations including <illicit
dead. On 26 October, the second deputy
funding=.
mayor of Bamenda II was abducted and

murdered.
ARBITRARY DETENTION

Dozens of Anglophone people remained

Far North region
arbitrarily detained after being sentenced by
In Far North region, the armed conüict
military courts in the context of armed
between state forces and armed groups was
violence in the Anglophone regions. They
ongoing. Armed groups afûliated to Islamic
included journalist Thomas Awah Junior,
State9s West Africa Province and Jamatu Ahli
protest leaders Mancho Bibixy, Tsi Conrad
Al-Sunna lil Da'wa Wal Jihad, both
and Penn Terence Khan, and 10 political
descended from the Boko Haram armed
leaders including Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe.

Cameroon 117
group, continued to attack civilians in villages questioning, intersex and asexual

along the border with Nigeria and on islands (2SLGBTQQIA+) people faced

in Lake Chad, looting and killing and discrimination and violence. Indigenous

abducting civilians, according to security land defenders were criminalized for

sources. protecting their ancestral territory, violence

On the night of 1-2 January, four people against Indigenous women continued and

were killed, eight abducted, and two the fate of Indigenous children remained
properties set on ûre during an attack in unresolved. Migrants9 and refugees9 rights

Bargaram in Hile-Alifa commune. Three were violated. Canada did not meet

Cameroonian aid workers from the French emissions targets.

NGO Première Urgence Internationale, who

were abducted on 10 January in Kolofata DISCRIMINATION

district, were released on 19 April. In June, Between 29 August and 27 September, nine

13 children, women and men from the Indigenous People were killed by police in

ûshing community were abducted in separate incidents across Canada,

Mourdas. In October, around 15 ûshermen demonstrating systemic racism and

were abducted in Darak, and four civilians discrimination in police institutions.

were killed in Kalguiwa. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal heard

in September whether a constitutional

UNLAWFUL KILLINGS challenge to a discriminatory name and

In the North-west and South-west regions, pronoun law targeting transgender and

defence and security forces were accused of gender-diverse students could proceed. The

unlawful killings of people suspected of court was considering if a law could be

collaborating with armed separatist groups, declared unconstitutional even when the

according to Cameroonian NGOs. The notwithstanding clause, which prevents

government did not respond to accusations courts from striking down laws that violate

of unlawful killings, including the killing of charter provisions, is enacted.

four civilians in Mamfe in April during a Organizations expressed disappointment

military operation. with the proposed Canada Disability Beneût,

announced in June, calling on the federal

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND government to urgently address the crisis of

REPARATION disability poverty.

No information was made public regarding The Supreme Court heard a constitutional

an investigation into the murder of journalist challenge in November to the laws

Jean-Jacques Ola Bébé in Yaoundé in criminalizing sex work and associated

February 2023. On 9 September the activities.

Yaoundé military tribunal publicly announced The Federal Court heard an application in

charges against 17 defendants on trial in November to certify a class action brought by

relation to the murder of journalist Martinez current and former federal public service

Zogo in Yaoundé in January 2023. workers against the government for anti-

Black racism in recruitment.

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

CANADA Anti-2SLGBTQQIA+ policies increased.

Alberta introduced measures in January

Canada limiting students9 access to gender-afûrming

healthcare and stiüing discussion around

Systemic racism and discrimination against gender identity, sexual diversity and

Black and racialized people persisted. Two- comprehensive sexuality education in

1
spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, schools.

118 Amnesty International Report

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE The Independent Special Interlocutor for

Indigenous, Black and racialized women and Missing Children and Unknown Graves and

2SLGBTQQIA+ people were Burial Sites9 ûnal report acknowledged that

disproportionately targeted through online Indian Residential Schools were <colonial

2
threats, violence and racist abuse. institutions of genocide= and called on the

Organizations called on the Ontario government to implement an independent,

government and municipalities to declare Indigenous-led investigation.

intimate partner violence an epidemic as Canada negotiated a free trade agreement

recommended in Bill 173, Intimate Partner with Ecuador without consulting with

Violence Epidemic Act 2024. Indigenous Peoples. In June, the Standing

Femicide against Black women continued Committee on International Trade

to be under-reported due to lack of recommended that no trade agreement

disaggregated data. proceed without the free, prior and informed

4
consent of affected Indigenous Peoples.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

Four Wet9suwet9en and other Indigenous land REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

defenders were found guilty of criminal The Temporary Foreign Worker Program

contempt of court for protecting Wet9suwet9en (TFWP) continued to tie migrant workers to a

territory against the construction of a single employer who controlled their

pipeline, including Likhts9amisyu Clan Wing immigration status, labour conditions and

Chief Dsta9hyl, who served a 60-day house living conditions. This put them at risk of
3
arrest. labour exploitation and other abuses such as

The Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum wage theft, excessive working hours, verbal,

Anishnabek (Grassy Narrows) First Nation physical, sexual and psychological abuse and

testiûed before the Inter-American racial discrimination. Migrant workers under

Commission on Human Rights, detailing the TFWP, who are predominantly racialized,

health issues and environmental damage did not have access to adequate and

from mercury dumped in the English and effective remedies.

Wabigoon rivers 50 years ago and Canada9s The Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the

ongoing failure to prevent further poisoning decision to grant asylum-seeking families

and provide adequate reparation. access to subsidized educational childcare.

The majority of the 94 calls to action listed The Quebec government appealed the

in the 2015 report of the Truth and decision, and the Supreme Court certiûed the

Reconciliation Commission had still not been appeal in October. The Court of Appeal

implemented. denied Quebec9s request for a stay, so

Canada failed to make real progress families retained access to subsidized

towards the implementation of the 231 Calls childcare, pending the Supreme Court9s

for Justice highlighted in the National Inquiry decision.

on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Concerns persisted about the complex

and Girls. application processes and effectiveness of

In August, the Kanien'kehá:ka the Temporary Residence Visa Program for

Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), who Gazan and Sudanese people.

demanded archaeological digs at the former

Royal Victoria Hospital site in Montreal due to FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

the suspected presence of Indigenous In July, the Ontario Superior Court failed to

children9s graves, lost their case before the uphold the right to peaceful assembly by

Quebec Court of Appeal. The court granting an injunction sought by the

overturned a lower court decision requiring University of Toronto against a peaceful pro-
5
McGill University to respect an agreement on Palestinian encampment. Similar

archaeological excavations at the site. encampments at universities around the

country were cleared by police or private

Canada 119
security forces without a court order; at least

one ended after an agreement was reached 1. <Amnesty International Canada condemns 8appalling9 anti-trans

with the university. policy changes in Alberta=, 2 February ±

2. <Canada must end technology-facilitated gender-based violence=,

IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS 5 July±

Canada continued to export arms and military 3. <Wet9suwet9en Chief Dsta9hyl declared first Amnesty International

equipment to countries despite lack of prisoner of conscience held in Canada=, 31 July ±

accountability for past violations and 4. <Amnesty International Canada shares concerns at parliamentary

substantial risks that they could be used in study of free trade negotiations with Ecuador=, 16 February ±

serious violations of international human 5. <U of T encampment ruling fails to uphold the right of peaceful

rights and humanitarian law. Arms worth assembly=, 2 July ±

USD 6.4 million were exported to Saudi 6. <Authorities9 response to climate activists who climbed the

Arabia, representing 42% of the total of non- Jacques-Cartier bridge raises concerns=, 30 October (French only)

US military exports. Authorization of new ±

export permits for transfers of military goods

to Israel was reportedly paused in January,

although no ofûcial <notice to exporters= was CENTRAL AFRICAN

issued and at least 180 export permits

remained active. REPUBLIC

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Central African Republic

According to government data, Canada is the

11th largest emitter of greenhouse gases

Armed groups and government forces
worldwide. Instead of implementing policies
continued to carry out unlawful attacks and
to reduce emissions, it offered a tax credit to
killings. There was a signi cant rise inû
fossil fuel companies for carbon capture, ü
cases of con ict-related sexual and gender-
utilization and storage projects. According to based violence. There was progress in
the Commissioner of the Environment and ûghting impunity, highlighted by a publicly
Sustainable Development, Canada will miss released arrest warrant against the former
its target of 40-45% reduction in emissions
president, and the arrest of two men
by 2030. A regulatory framework to cap
charged with crimes under international
greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and
law. A UN report revealed poor detention
gas sector was not introduced. On a per- conditions. More than 2.5 million people
capita basis, Canada ûnanced the fossil fuel were affected by food insecurity.
industry more than almost any other G20

country. Canada continued to grant permits BACKGROUND

for the construction of oil and gas
Clashes continued between government
infrastructure, including on unceded
forces, aided by their allies, and armed
Indigenous territories.
groups afûliated with the Coalition of Patriots
The Environmental Racism Bill became for Change, leading to numerous civilian

law, requiring the development of a national casualties. On 30 July the UN Security

strategy to address the harm caused by Council lifted the arms embargo, in place

environmental racism. since 2013. By 31 August, 455,533 people

Climate activists continued to be
were internally displaced. Meanwhile, the
criminalized. In Montreal, three activists were
country hosted 43,393 refugees, including
detained for peacefully protesting at the
29,070 from Sudan.
government9s inaction to address climate
6
change.
UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

According to a report by the UN

Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization

120 Amnesty International Report

Mission in the Central African Republic received legal or judicial assistance; and only

(MINUSCA), covering the second quarter of 6% were supported with economic

2024, armed groups and government forces, reintegration measures.

supported by their allies, continued to carry

out unlawful attacks and killings. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

MINUSCA reported that, in the region of REPARATION

Haut-Mbomou on 19 February, the Azande On 1 May the Special Criminal Court (SCC), a

Ani Kpi Gbe armed group ambushed a UN-backed hybrid court, issued an

civilian truck in Kere, killing four of the 20 international arrest warrant for former

passengers and abducting a woman. Clashes president François Bozizé for alleged crimes

between the group and another armed group, against humanity linked to actions by his

the Unity for Peace in Central Africa (UPC) presidential guard between 2009 and 2013.

followed in Kitessa, Maboussou and Manza The court urged Guinea-Bissau, where

on 22 and 23 February, resulting in 10 François Bozizé was exiled, to cooperate in

deaths and the displacement of part of the his arrest. On 8 May the president of Guinea-

population to Zémio. On 27 February, Bissau announced his intention to disregard

national defence forces and other security the request.

personnel conducted an operation targeting On 21 June the SCC announced the arrest

Anti-Balaka armed group leaders at the Willy of Edmond Beina, a suspect in the <Guen=

mining site, 35km south-west of Bossangoa case, which involved crimes committed in

in Ouham region in the west of the country. 2014 in the Mambéré region. He was

According to local sources, four civilians were charged with several crimes against humanity

killed and several others wounded. On 29 and war crimes, including murder and

March, suspected members of the Popular extermination. Abakar Zakaria Hamid, also

Front for the Renaissance of the Central known as <SG=, was arrested on 4

African Republic and UPC combatants September and appeared before SCC

attacked the market in Ouogo, 63km north- investigating judges. He faced multiple

west of Batangafo, wounding six civilians. charges including crimes against humanity

such as murder, extermination, persecution

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE and enforced disappearance.

According to OCHA, there was a surge in On 13 December, the SCC delivered its

cases of sexual and gender-based violence, verdict in the case known as <Ndélé 1= in

exacerbated by the conüict and <by socio- which the four accused were convicted of

cultural norms that are unfavourable to crimes against humanity committed during

women and girls, despite the existence of incidents in 2020 in the town of Ndélé. On

relevant policies and legislation= that could the same day, the defence lawyer announced

offer some protection if implemented. In the his decision to appeal.

ûrst half of the year, more than 11,000 cases On 3 May the gendarmerie temporarily

of gender-based violence were reported. closed, without providing formal

More than 6,000 of the cases were reported documentation, the Truth, Justice,

in the second quarter alone, 96% of which Reparation and Reconciliation Commission. It

involved victims who were women or girls, had been established in 2020 <to investigate,

and 32% of which were rapes, the most establish the truth and assign responsibility

frequently reported crime. According to the for the serious national events that have

Gender-Based Violence Information occurred since 29 March 1959, that is 60

Management System, between January and years of the tumultuous history of the Central

September all identiûed survivors of gender- African Republic=. The staff were instructed

based violence beneûted from psycho-social to leave the premises, and on 7 May a

support, while 82% received medical government decree dismissed the

assistance 3 only 28% of which occurred commission members, citing internal

within the critical 72-hour window; 11%

Central African Republic 121

conüicts and poor management. A committee standards. Gender-based violence remained

was established to appoint new members. widespread.

INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS BACKGROUND

In July a MINUSCA report revealed alarming On 6 May, Mahamat <Kaka= Déby was

detention conditions, emphasizing poor ofûcially declared the winner of the

healthcare and hygiene and severe presidential elections, bringing an end to the

malnutrition among detainees, a situation transitional period that began in April 2021

that was aggravated by insufûcient food following the death of President Idriss Déby.

budgets and prolonged detention. The report Floods affected several cities across the

also highlighted the ill-treatment experienced country, leading to the deaths of several

by several detainees and noted the lack of a hundred people and the displacement of

government response regarding these issues. thousands.

It listed numerous other shortcomings, Conüicts between herders and farmers

including non-compliance with legal custody continued, in a context of increased pressure

time limits and the excessive use of pretrial on natural resources aggravated by lack of

detention. grazing land in the north and population

growth in the south.

RIGHT TO FOOD

According to the Food Security Cluster, a UN- FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY

led organization, more than 2.5 million The government repeatedly banned

people experienced severe food insecurity, demonstrations, citing that protest against the

with 307,000 in emergency conditions by rising cost of living was prohibited. In June, a

November. In regions including Mbomou and ban was placed on a demonstration by

Haute-Kotto, more than 50% of the graduates protesting that promises made to

population were living in a situation of them of public sector jobs had not been

emergency or crisis food insecurity. This honoured.

primarily affected internally displaced people, In March, the Union of Journalists of Chad

those in remote areas and poor urban released a statement to highlight increasing

households, whose access to food was threats against journalists and urged the

challenged due to rising prices, conüict and authorities to take action to ensure the safety

poor infrastructure. of journalists and their families. This followed

the murders on 1 March of journalist Idriss

Yaya, his wife and his four-year-old son in the

CHAD village of Djondjol, near Mangalmé. Idriss

Yaya, who worked for a radio station in

Republic of Chad Mongo, had received multiple threats prior to

his murder, likely linked to his reporting of

The rights to freedom of expression and escalating communal conüicts in the region.

peaceful assembly remained restricted, with On 2 March, nine people were arrested in

authorities banning several protests under connection with the murders.

the pretext of maintaining public order. One On 7 August, Badour Oumar Ali, editor-in-

journalist was killed, while others faced chief of Chad9s leading news website

threats. No investigation was initiated after [Link], was arrested by armed and

the death of an opposition leader during an masked men and taken to the headquarters

assault by security forces on his party9s of the National Security Agency. He was

headquarters; 25 of his relatives were released without charge after 24 hours in

subsequently detained without access to a detention. The incident was part of a broader

lawyer. Detention conditions remained in trend of harassment and intimidation of the

breach of international human rights media, and followed a temporary suspension

of the website at the end of July.

122 Amnesty International Report

In September, Reed Brody, a Hungarian- DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

American human rights lawyer renowned for In August, Human Rights Watch released a

his work in support of victims of repression report highlighting severe human rights

during Hissène Habré9s presidency, was violations arising from the detention of

arrested and expelled from Chad. He was individuals arrested during protests in

expelled just before attending a conference N9Djamena in October 2022. Former

calling for payment by the state of full detainees described their harrowing journey

damages to victims of the former regime, to Koro Toro prison, experiencing

where he was to launch his book on bringing overcrowded transport conditions and severe

Hissène Habré to justice. dehydration as well as inhumane treatment,

including beatings and lack of medical care

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND once at the prison.

REPARATIONS

In February, opposition leader Yaya Dillo was WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

shot dead during an assault by security According to the World Economic Forum9s

forces on the headquarters of his party, the Global Gender Gap Report for 2024, Chad

Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF). The ranked 144th out of 146 countries on gender

shooting followed accusations that his equality. The Women9s Associations9 Liaison

supporters had attacked the National and Information Unit reported in June that

Security Agency and attempted to the difûculty women faced in accessing land,

assassinate the president of the Supreme particularly in the context of inheritance,

Court. Transitional prime minister Succès contributed to entrenching inequalities.

Masra announced the launch of an The United Nations Population Fund

international commission of inquiry to recorded 1,310 cases of gender-based

determine responsibility for Dillo9s death. violence (GBV) in Chad between January and

However, the investigation had made no June, and 794 between July and September.

progress by year's end. The cases mostly involved physical and

psychological violence, but there were also

RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL signiûcant numbers involving denial of

Following the death of Yaya Dillo (see above), resources, sexual assault, rape and forced

25 of his relatives, also PSF activists, marriage. Organizations working in the ûeld

including three under the age of 18, were emphasized that the actual numbers were

detained for ûve months without being likely to be higher due to unreported cases.

brought before a judge. They were held in the

high-security prison of Koro Toro, 600km ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

from N'Djamena where they had been based, The rising cost of living stoked widespread

with no access to legal representation or discontent. In response, the authorities

1
medical care. implemented measures to support the most

During mobile court hearings in Koro Toro vulnerable. On 11 March, two months before

prison from 2 to 4 July, 10 were acquitted the presidential elections and coinciding with

due to lack of evidence but not released, the start of Ramadan, the government

while 14 were sentenced to 10 years in announced free water and electricity until the

prison. One remained in detention in end of the year, covering up to 300 kilowatt

N9Djamena without being charged. On 23 hours per household per month. The

September, the party9s secretary-general was announcement, which came amid ongoing

also arrested in N'Djamena. In November power shortages in many neighbourhoods,

and December, all the detainees except for was matched by 50% reductions in

the secretary-general were released, with no transportation taxes.

explanations given. In September, Action Against Hunger

reported that at least 3.4 million people in

Chad were experiencing critical food

Chad 123
insecurity. These included some 620,000 of the Carabineros for their failure to prevent

refugees from the conüict in Sudan. OCHA human rights violations committed by their

found that only 50% of the USD 1.12 billion subordinates during the protests. Despite

funding requirement for humanitarian relief these developments, impunity remained for

was being met. human rights violations and crimes under

international law perpetrated during that

period, and several political authorities

1. <Chad: Authorities must ensure fair trial rights of detained unduly questioned the actions of the

relatives of killed opposition leader=, 28 May ± prosecution, particularly in relation to the

investigation of the Carabineros9 former high

command.

CHILE The government rescinded grace pensions

granted to victims of human rights violations

Republic of Chile committed during the protests in cases where

the beneûciaries had been convicted of

crimes prior to that period. No bill was

Despite the unprecedented conviction of

two members of the Carabineros for human forthcoming regarding reparations to victims

rights violations committed during the of violations committed during the protests,

2019 protests, impunity prevailed and no despite the extensive conclusions of the

bill regarding reparations was presented. Roundtable for Comprehensive Reparations

Barriers in accessing abortion persisted. delivered to the government.

Conditions for pregnant detainees remained Complaints arose in August about possible

serious irregularities in the implementation of

poor. Changes were made to the regulatory
the National Search Plan for people forcibly
framework on the use of force. Congress
continued to discuss bills proposing the disappeared during the regime of Augusto

criminalization of refugees and migrants. Pinochet (1973-1990). The irregularities

The detention of Indigenous women for related to the software used for the search of

selling products in public spaces persisted. detained disappeared people. As a result,

Facial recognition technology was one of the main experts resigned and family

members of the disappeared expressed their

implemented without a clear legislative
concerns about the situation. Meanwhile,
framework.
measures ensuring the plan9s permanent

operation were not approved. The

BACKGROUND

In February, Chile signed the 2023 Ljubljana government9s limited support for memorial

3 The Hague Convention on International sites relating to this period remained a source

Cooperation in the Investigation and of concern and its continuity was at risk.

Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes

against Humanity, War Crimes and Other SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Barriers in accessing abortion services

International Crimes.
persisted in government healthcare facilities,

even when lawful abortion was allowed.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND
Healthcare institutions and professionals
REPARATION

In August, for the ûrst time, two members of refused to perform abortion services because

of their moral or religious views, undermining

the Carabineros (police force) were convicted
pregnant people9s right to access abortion
for acts of torture committed against a
services. In ûve public hospitals all
protester during the 2019 protests. Criminal

proceedings regarding eye injuries sustained obstetricians refused to provide abortions in

by Gustavo Gatica continued. Criminal cases of pregnancies resulting from rape,

charges were brought in October against which could amount to torture or other ill-

three members of the former high command treatment.

124 Amnesty International Report

In May, the government presented changes Despite the procurement of projectile

to regulations governing abortion services. electric-shock weapons for the Carabineros

The proposed amendments aimed to require since 2019, and in 2024 for the Gendarmería

healthcare institutions to maintain lists of (penitentiary police), the Ministry of the

professionals who refused to perform lawful Interior and Public Safety had not issued a

abortion services because of their moral or protocol for their correct use. No authorized

religious views and to specify the use of this weapon had been recorded, but a

circumstances under which they refused to pilot project was announced to be

participate in abortion procedures. The implemented near the end of the ûrst quarter

proposals further mandated that patients be of 2025.

informed of a healthcare professional9s

refusal to provide lawful abortion services for REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

moral or religious reasons, where applicable. Throughout the year, Congress continued to

As of December, the Controller General had discuss bills proposing the criminalization of

not approved the amended regulations. refugees and migrants. Of particular concern

In June, the president committed to was the proposal to impose prison sentences

presenting a bill on lawful abortion to on people found guilty of irregular entry or

Congress before the end of the year, but he stay in the country.

failed to fulûl this commitment. In September, the Pensions

In January, a woman at the Iquique Superintendency asserted that Venezuelan

Penitentiary Centre gave birth in one of the workers in Chile could not withdraw their

facility9s cells. The Chilean Committee for the pension funds because it was not possible to

Prevention of Torture stated that this event verify the validity of their required

highlighted signiûcant and urgent issues documentation. Meanwhile, xenophobic

requiring immediate attention, including the rhetoric and attacks continued against

need to improve prenatal care to pregnant Venezuelan refugees by some of the general

detainees, and ensure access to adequate public and some public ûgures.

nutrition and the constant presence of

qualiûed personnel to attend childbirth. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

Carabineros and other enforcement agencies

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY continued to detain Indigenous women for

Authorities continued to require prior selling their products in public spaces,

authorization for public gatherings in public creating signiûcant barriers to the exercise of

spaces, forcing protesters to notify them and their ancestral traditions and cultural rights. A

be subjected to barriers to exercise their right particularly troubling case involved the

of freedom of assembly. Throughout the year, detention and handcufûng of an Aymara

Congress failed to discuss the elimination of woman in Pica, a commune in Tarapacá

the prior authorization requirement. region in northern Chile, for selling coca

leaves. She was subsequently released after

EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF her defence argued that this activity was a

FORCE cultural and traditional practice of the Aymara

Congress continued discussing a bill to People.

regulate the use of force by security ofûcials,

enshrining in legislation current protocols and MASS SURVEILLANCE

regulations issued by the Ministry of the Facial recognition technology was

Interior and Public Safety and the Ministry of implemented for policing purposes without

National Defence. There were concerns over the establishment of clear and explicit

the lack of clarity in the proposals for the regulatory frameworks deûning its limitations.

regulation of the use of force and its A bill aimed at regulating personal data
1
imminent approval. collection was approved and its

implementation pending.

Chile 125
In December, amendments to anti-terrorist Despite government denials, weapons and

legislation were approved that would allow for other military equipment manufactured in

the deployment of technology for intercepting China were used by parties to the armed

messages, calls, metadata and mass geo- conüict in Sudan. In the conüict in Myanmar,

referencing without establishing appropriate evidence continued to implicate Chinese

safeguards on its use and access to it. state and non-state actors in supplying

aviation fuel to the military, enabling air

strikes against civilian targets and other war

1. Bill for the Regulation of the Use of Force, 4 June (Spanish only) ± crimes.

Hong Kong9s economy remained slow with

many stores and restaurants closing down.

CHINA The ûscal deûcit persisted and the ûscal

reserves fell to their lowest level since 2010.

The People9s Republic of China Efforts by the authorities to rebuild the

territory9s image as an international hub for

foreign investment and tourism were

The government continued to enforce
hindered by the ongoing crackdown against
repressive laws and policies that restricted
the right to freedom of expression and other political opponents.

human rights. Human rights defenders were

arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to long FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION

prison terms. Activists living overseas faced AND ASSEMBLY

threats and intimidation. New restrictions Artists and others were among those

prosecuted under restrictive laws. On 5

on religious freedom were introduced in the
January, authorities arrested Chen Pinlin, the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and
prosecutions of intellectuals, artists and director of a documentary about the 2022

other Uyghur cultural ûgures continued. White Paper Movement, a peaceful protest

Chinese authorities9 repression of Tibetan movement against highly restrictive Covid-19

culture and language intensi ed. û policies and pervasive censorship and

Renewable energy generation capacity was surveillance. He was charged with <picking

quarrels and provoking trouble= and

expanded but China remained heavily
remained in detention awaiting trial at year9s
reliant on coal. A new national security law
1
end. In September, Gao Zhen, a renowned
further restricted civic space in Hong Kong
where dozens of pro-democracy activists artist whose work includes critical depictions

were sentenced to long prison terms. of social issues, was detained on suspicion of

<insulting revolutionary heroes and martyrs=.

BACKGROUND Gao Zhen, who lived in the USA, was visiting

relatives in China at the time of his arrest. He

Amid growing concerns about economic
2
was awaiting trial at year9s end.
slowdown, falling birthrates and an ageing
In April the Ministry of State Security
population, the government intensiûed its

focus on ensuring <stability=, resulting in issued new regulations granting additional

increased restrictions on human rights. The powers to law enforcement ofûcers to inspect

tightening grip of the Chinese authorities and electronic devices including those of overseas

the continued lack of transparency were visitors to China. The new regulations, which

came into force in July, expanded the scope

demonstrated by the expulsions from the
of existing counter-espionage laws to
Chinese Communist Party of ofûcials for
encompass <national security= matters while
accessing <forbidden= publications, the

imposition of restrictions on civil servant also weakening their procedural safeguards.

travel and censorship of consumer rights In June, in a rare response to public

scandals. pressure, the central government withdrew a

draft amendment to the Law on

Administrative Penalties for Public Security.

126 Amnesty International Report

The amendment included vaguely worded was convicted in February of <inciting

offences against conduct <undermining the subversion of state power=. She was

spirit= and <hurting the feelings= of the sentenced to three years and eight months in
4
nation. However, other steps were taken to prison. She was released in August because

further expand the legal and regulatory of time already served.

framework restricting the right to freedom of Three other human rights defenders,

expression. lawyers Li Yuhan and Chang Weiping and

On 11 October the Cyberspace anti-discrimination activist Cheng Yuan, were

Administration of China announced new released from prison. All three continued to

measures to restrict the use of <obscure face restrictions on their freedom of

expressions= online, targeting slang adopted movement and were deprived of <political

by internet users to circumvent online rights= following their release.

censorship. In June, Guangzhou Intermediate Court

Also in October, local authorities in sentenced Sophia Huang Xueqin and Wang

Shanghai reportedly detained at least six Jianbing to ûve years9 and three-and-a-half

people wearing Halloween costumes. years9 imprisonment, respectively, for

The government continued its campaign to <inciting subversion of state power=. The two

silence dissent by citizens living abroad. prominent #MeToo and labour rights activists

Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong students had been detained since they were arrested

studying at universities in western Europe in September 2021 due to their involvement

and North America faced surveillance and in trainings for non-violent protest and

on- and ofüine censorship, including by state participation in discussions on shrinking civil
5
actors. They, and some of their family society space.

members in mainland China, were subjected In August, citizen journalist Zhang Zhan

to harassment and intimidation to prevent was detained after engaging in human rights

them from engaging in activities relating to advocacy. She had been subjected to
3
political or other <sensitive= issues. surveillance since her release from prison in

May 2024.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS In October, detained women9s and health

Human rights defenders, including activists, rights defender He Fangmei was sentenced

lawyers and citizen journalists, continued to to ûve years and six months9 imprisonment in

face intimidation, harassment, arbitrary connection with her campaigning for safe

detention, and torture and other ill-treatment vaccines. He Fangmei had given birth to a

for defending human rights and exercising second daughter while in detention; at some

their freedoms of expression and association. point, both children were taken by local

Their repression was often enabled by ofûcials and placed in a psychiatric hospital.

recourse to overly-broad and vague national In April the girls, aged three and eight, were

security laws. In some cases, harassment reportedly moved but their whereabouts were

and intimidation extended to their family unknown.

members. In October, Lu Siwei, a human rights

On 14 February, the UN Special lawyer known for defending politically

Rapporteur on the independence of judges sensitive cases, was arrested and charged

and lawyers wrote to the government to raise with <crossing the border illegally=. Lu Siwei

concerns about administrative restrictions on, had previously been detained by police in

the criminalization of, and other patterns of Laos in July 2023 and forcibly returned to

interference in the work of lawyers. According China.

to the Special Rapporteur, human rights Concerns about conditions of detention

lawyers working on sensitive cases were and torture and other ill-treatment of human

particularly targeted. rights defenders persisted. In October, legal

Following her trial in December 2023, scholar and activist Xu Zhiyong, who was

labour and women9s rights activist Li Qiaochu serving a 14-year prison sentence for

China 127
<subversion of state power=, reportedly went strengthen the protection of minorities

on hunger strike to protest his mistreatment against discrimination.

by prison guards. Revisions to religious regulations took

The health of Xu Yan, arrested in April effect in February, further limiting freedom of

2023 with her husband Yu Wensheng, religion and belief. The amendments to the

reportedly deteriorated in detention due to Xinjiang Religious Affairs Regulations and

poor nutrition. The two activists were statements by the Xinjiang Party Secretary

sentenced on 29 October to one year and emphasized the need for Islam to be

nine months9 and three years9 imprisonment <Sinicised=. This echoed previous statements

respectively for <inciting subversion of state by Chinese leaders, stressing <loyalty... above
6
power=. all else= to the Chinese Communist Party.

In March, 14 UN experts condemned the The detention of Uyghur cultural ûgures

continued failure of the Chinese authorities to continued. Among those prosecuted during

investigate the circumstances surrounding the year was ûlm-maker Ikram Nurmehmet.

the death in custody in 2014 of human rights He was found guilty in January of <taking part

defender Cao Shunli. She was detained in in terrorist activities= because he had

2013 as she was preparing to participate in travelled to Türkiye. According to media

China9s UPR process but her health reports, Ikram Nurmehmet was subjected to

deteriorated, allegedly due to torture and torture and other ill-treatment to coerce him

other ill-treatment including denial of access into <confessing= crimes he had not

to medical care. committed. In June, songwriter Yashar

Shohret was sentenced to three years9

ETHNIC AUTONOMOUS REGIONS imprisonment for <promoting extremism= and

The government continued to enforce <illegally possessing extremist materials=. The

repressive policies in ethnic autonomous sentence was in connection with his

regions, especially the Xinjiang Uyghur expression of cultural identity through music

Autonomous Region and Tibet, denying rights and his possession of Uyghur literature.

including to cultural expression and to Other prominent Uyghur scholars and

freedom of religion and belief. Repression of artists continued to serve long prison terms

ethnic and minority populations was carried and were deprived of communication with

out under the guise of counterterrorism and family members. They included well-known

national security. Uyghur intellectual Ilham Tohti who had been

sentenced to life imprisonment for

7
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region <separatism= in 2014. There was no

In January the government published a white information about the status or whereabouts

paper entitled Legal Framework and of ethnographer Rahile Dawut, who was

Measures for Counterterrorism that described reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment in

efforts to ostensibly <protect= human rights in 2023 for <endangering state security=.

the context of counterterrorism. However,

repressive laws 3 including the 2015 Counter Tibet

Terrorism Law and the 2017 Xinjiang Tibetan monk Rinchen Tsultrim was released

Regulation on De-extremiûcation 3 continued on 1 February after serving a four-year

to be used to arbitrarily detain members of sentence. He was imprisoned for <inciting

Uyghur, Kazakh and other predominantly secession= in relation to his social media

Muslim ethnic groups and to restrict cultural posts. In July, 13 UN experts wrote to the

and religious practices. In August the UN Chinese government raising concerns about

human rights ofûce, OHCHR, repeated its reports of beatings and arbitrary arrest of

call to the Chinese authorities to review and hundreds of Tibetan civilians and monks

revise the legal framework governing national during protests against the construction of a

security and counterterrorism and to hydropower plant on the Drichu river in

Sichuan province. According to the letter, the

128 Amnesty International Report

plant, which is being built by a state-owned reported the case of a civil servant who was

company, could result in the forced sentenced to death for violating the State

displacement and relocation of local Secrets Protection Law.

residents, destruction of important cultural On 21 June the Supreme People9s Court of

and religious sites and environmental China, the Supreme People9s Procuratorate

damage. and the Ministries of Public Security, State

Closure of schools providing instruction in Security and Justice jointly issued the

Tibetan and other non-Mandarin languages <Opinions on Punishing 8Taiwan

continued as part of the authorities9 Independence9 Diehards for Conducting or

campaign to curtail Tibetan culture and Inciting Separatism in Accordance with Law=.

languages. In July, authorities closed the The Opinions included directives to

Jigme Gyaltsen Vocational School, a private prosecute and harshly punish, including with

school in Gansu province teaching courses in death, individuals advocating for or taking

Tibetan languages, whose pupils were mainly action in support of Taiwan9s independence.

Tibetan boys. Concerns also persisted about

the coercive residential school system RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

imposed on Tibetan children. In October, Substantial progress was made towards

Tibetan language education activist Tashi expanding renewable energy, with the

Wangchuk was reportedly detained for 15 government9s 2030 target for wind and solar

days on charges of <disturbing social order=. power generation achieved six years early. As

He had previously served a ûve-year prison a result, China9s capacity for non-fossil fuel

term for <inciting separatism=. energy generation exceeded that from fossil

fuels for the ûrst time.

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS Nevertheless, energy consumption relied

In May a Beijing Fengtai District People9s mainly on fossil fuels, which remained the

Court ruling in a child custody dispute largest contributor to China9s greenhouse gas

recognized the rights of a same-sex partner emissions. According to a report by the NGO

to monthly visits with her daughter. The ruling Greenpeace, the number of new permits

marked an important development in a issued by the government for domestic coal-

system that does not recognize and lacks ûred power plant construction decreased by

protections for same-sex relationships. 79.5% during the ûrst half of the year.

However, repression of LGBTI activism However, the pace of coal plant construction

continued, with activists facing risks remained high, driven by projects approved

including arbitrary detention and in previous years.

interrogation, and censorship of LGBTI- Despite previous pledges by the

related topics. government, the building of new coal-ûred

power plants abroad continued, and fewer

DEATH PENALTY existing projects were halted in 2024 than in

The death penalty was believed to be the previous two years.

extensively used but the number of In March, IQAir reported that, in 2023,

executions was not known because such China9s ûve-year trend of improving air

data remained classiûed as a state secret. quality was reversed, with thick smog

Access to information about state secrets, returning to several cities and provinces,

including the use of the death penalty, was largely the result of burning coal.

further restricted by revisions to the State

Secrets Protection Law, enacted in February, HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE

and to its implementation measures in July. REGION

The amendments broadened the scope of Freedom of expression

classiûed information and tightened

The space for free speech, already highly
government control over its disclosure. In
restricted under the National Security Law
November, national and international media

China 129
(NSL) and other repressive laws, diminished such as intention of sedition or to incite

further. secession. Anyone breaching the injunction

In March, following inadequate public could be held liable for contempt of court

consultations, the Hong Kong Legislative and jailed. Following the decision, YouTube

Council unanimously passed the blocked users in Hong Kong from accessing

Safeguarding National Security Ordinance 32 videos featuring the song.

(SNSO). This local law created new national Also in May, in a major case against 47

security offences and increased penalties for pro-democracy activists, the High Court

existing offences. It also entrenched the local found 14 people guilty of <conspiracy to

government9s sweeping powers of commit subversion= under the NSL for

enforcement. The ordinance introduced organizing unofûcial primaries for the 2020

mainland China9s broad and vague Legislative Council elections that were

deûnitions of <national security= and <state ultimately postponed. Another 31 defendants

secrets= which could potentially cover almost had previously pleaded guilty to the same

any conduct or information. The SNSO charges. In November the court handed

replaced a widely-used colonial-era sedition down sentences to the 45 ranging from four

law, but expanded provisions that punish years and three months to 10 years in prison.

intention to cause <hatred or enmity amongst Two other defendants were acquitted, but the

residents of different regions of China=, and Department of Justice appealed against one

that expressly cover acts or speech which do of the acquittals.

8
not incite violence. The maximum prison The trial of Jimmy Lai, the 77-year-old

sentence for sedition was increased from two founder of the pro-democracy newspaper

to seven years, or up to 10 years if involving Apple Daily, on charges under the NSL of

collusion with external force. <colluding with foreign forces= continued and

Following the adoption of the SNSO, 15 was still ongoing at years9 end. There were

people were arrested under its sedition concerns about Jimmy Lai9s declining health

provisions. Four were subsequently charged. after he was absent from a hearing in June. A

In September, three were convicted in trial monitor from Reporters Without Borders

separate trials for wearing a T-shirt and a was barred from entering Hong Kong in June.

mask printed with protest slogans; expressing In August the Court of Final Appeal

political comments against the government dismissed appeals by Jimmy Lai and six

on online platforms; and writing protest other activists against a previous conviction

slogans on bus seats. They were sentenced for taking part in an unauthorized assembly

to prison terms of between 10 and 14 during the 2019 protests, for which Lai was

months. sentenced to nine months9 imprisonment.

In June and December the authorities Several people were charged with

used new powers under the SNSO to cancel <insulting= the Chinese national anthem. In

the passports of ûrst six and then seven Hong June, three people were arrested under the

Kong activists living overseas for whom arrest National Anthem Ordinance for turning their

warrants had been issued in 2023. Another backs while the anthem was played at a
10
six activists living overseas were placed on a football match. In August, another person

wanted list with a bounty of 1 million Hong was sentenced to eight weeks9 imprisonment

Kong dollars (USD 128,500) each. for covering his ears and singing a song

In May the Court of Appeal granted the associated with the pro-democracy

government an interim injunction to ban the movement while the anthem was played at a

pro-democracy protest song <Glory to Hong volleyball match in 2023.

9
Kong=. The decision, which overturned a In August, two former editors of the closed

lower court ruling, prohibits individuals from media outlet Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen

broadcasting, performing, distributing, and Patrick Lam, were convicted for

disseminating, displaying or reproducing the <conspiring to publish seditious

song with an intent against national security, publications=. In September they were

130 Amnesty International Report

sentenced to 21 and 11 months9 that would have allowed extraditions to

imprisonment, respectively. Patrick Lam ûled mainland China.

an appeal against his conviction in October. In September the High Court ruled in

favour of the government9s claim that the

Freedom of assembly General Union of Hong Kong Speech

The authorities continued to prevent Therapists, whose registration was revoked in

commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen 2021, had used funds to endanger national

crackdown. On 4 June the 35th anniversary security. The court granted the government a

of the crackdown, a heavy police presence conûscation order to seize HKD 116,000

was reported in and around Victoria Park (approximately USD 14,900) from the pro-

where vigils had been held for 30 years democracy union.

before they were banned in 2020. Four

people were formally arrested while another LGBTI people9s rights

ûve were <brought to police stations=. The Hong Kong government failed to provide

Bringing people to police stations is an any meaningful updates on progress towards

intimidatory tactic that allows the police to the implementation of a 2023 ruling by the

remove a person from the scene without a Court of Final Appeal requiring it to provide

formal arrest. an alternative legal framework for the

In January the Court of Final Appeal recognition of same-sex partnerships.

reinstated the conviction of Chow Hang-tung In November the Court of Final Appeal

for <inciting others to take part in an dismissed the government9s appeal against a

unauthorized assembly= in 2021 on the lower court decision which gave same-sex

anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. couples who married overseas the same

Chow Hang-tung9s trial on a separate charge inheritance and public housing rights as

under the NSL of <inciting subversion= was heterosexual married couples.

repeatedly delayed. She remained in pretrial According to media reports, the Hong

detention for her role in a group which held Kong government cut funding to at least

annual Tiananmen candlelight vigils in three LGBTI groups, and enforced

Victoria Park. administrative measures to obstruct

In late May the police initiated additional fundraising and promotion activities of one of

proceedings, under the SNSO, against Chow the groups.

Hang-tung, and arrested her mother and six

of her friends for <exploit[ing] an upcoming

sensitive date to repeatedly publish posts 1. <China: Chinese director arrested for protest film: Chen Pinlin=,

with seditious intention on a social platform=. 30 April ±

2. <China: Prominent artist arrested for his work: Gao Zhen=, 5

Freedom of association December ±

In July the Legislative Council passed a law to 3. China: <On my campus, I am afraid=: China9s Targeting of

give government appointees a majority on the Overseas Students Stifles Rights, 13 May ±

Social Workers Registration Board, the 4. <China: Activist Li Qiaochu unjustly convicted 8for speaking out

licensing body for social workers. The move about torture9=, 5 February ±

followed criticism of the Board by a 5. <China: 8Malicious9 conviction of #MeToo and labour activists

government ofûcial for its refusal to ban shows Beijing9s growing fear of dissent=, 14 June ±
people convicted of national security offences 6. <China: Activists approaching one year in detention: Yu Wensheng

from becoming social workers. and Xu Yan=, 22 March ±

Also in July the Hong Kong Christian 7. <China must end decade of injustice=, 18 September ±

Institute announced that it was disbanding 8. <What is Hong Kong9s Article 23 law? 10 things you need to

because of the <social environment= and know=, 22 March ±

inability to freely fulûl its mission. The 9. <Hong Kong: Protest song ban a 8worrying sign9 of shrinking

Institute supported the 2014 pro-democracy freedoms=, 8 May ±

movement and protests in 2019 against a bill

China 131
10. <Hong Kong: National anthem football arrests are an attack on agreement was announced for negotiations

freedom of expression=, 7 June ± between the government and an armed

group separate from the ELN, Southern

Commoners. Meanwhile, in March, a

COLOMBIA ceaseûre between the government and the

Central General Staff (EMC) was suspended

Republic of Colombia in Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Nariño

departments, and negotiations fractured.

Despite peace talks and cease res, civilians û Some factions of the EMC, under the name of

continued to be affected by human rights General Staff of the Blocks and Fronts

violations and breaches of international (EMBF), continued talks with the government

humanitarian law caused by armed con ict, ü and agreed a ceaseûre in October. The

with Indigenous Peoples and Afro- Second Marquetalia also split up, with a

descendant and peasant communities faction now called the Bolivarian Army

disproportionately affected. Enforced National Coordinator publicly expressing in

disappearances continued and searches November its willingness to continue

remained challenging. Violence against negotiations with the government.

human rights defenders was pervasive, During the year, the government

despite measures by the government to announced the start of negotiations with

improve protection. Comprehensive police armed groups such as the Gaitanist Self-

reform remained pending. Violence against Defence Army (EGC) and the Sierra Nevada

journalists, women and girls and LGBTI Conqueror Self-Defence Forces. Talks with

people was ongoing. There was controversy other urban armed groups continued in the

over the alleged use of spyware by security cities of Medellín, Quibdó and Buenaventura.

forces. Some progress was made in In March the UN International Expert on

reparations and justice for violence at the human rights called for the implementation of

hands of the armed forces, but impunity the 2016 Peace Agreement and for all

continued. There were concerns about the negotiations and dialogues with armed

rights of Venezuelan refugees, despite some groups to focus on human rights.

progress. The Escazú Agreement was

deemed constitutional. The pension reform VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL

bill was enacted. HUMANITARIAN LAW

Violations of international humanitarian law

BACKGROUND were documented throughout the year,

According to the ICRC, eight non- particularly impacting regions and

international armed conüicts persisted in departments such as Arauca, Caquetá,

Colombia. Several armed groups expanded Cauca, Chocó, Magdalena Medio, Nariño,

their presence in different regions of the Putumayo and Valle del Cauca.

country and armed confrontations escalated. The Human Rights and Displacement

The government9s <Total Peace= policy Consulting Group (CODHES) documented

remained in effect, facilitating ongoing 121 large-scale group forced displacements

negotiations between the government and up to December, affecting at least 49,002

various armed groups. people. OCHA reported that at least 176,500

Negotiations between the government and individuals had been forcibly displaced up to

the National Liberation Army (ELN) stalled in November.

September, after the expiration of a ceaseûre CODHES also reported 90 instances of

in August and an attack on a military base in forced conûnement up to December,

Arauca department. Both parties met in affecting at least 195,447 people. OCHA

November to discuss the resumption of claimed that forced conûnement tactics were

negotiations. In September a formal used by armed groups as social and territorial

control mechanisms that negatively impacted

132 Amnesty International Report

affected communities9 access to rights and the capacity of communities and

services. organizations, with a speciûc focus on

The Ombudsperson9s Ofûce reported 282 safeguarding human rights defenders.

cases of child recruitment by armed groups In July the government and human rights

up to early November. Meanwhile, Mine organizations reactivated the Guarantees9

Action Area of Responsibility estimated that National Roundtable, designed to facilitate

approximately 607,910 individuals could be dialogue between state institutions and civil

at risk due to the presence of landmines or society regarding the protection and

unexploded devices, or subject to promotion of the defence of human rights. In

conûnement as a result. November, human rights organizations

Between January and 22 December, the announced that the Roundtable had not met

Institute for Development and Peace Studies again because of postponements by some

reported the killing of 31 former combatants high-ranking ofûcers who should have

who had signed the 2016 Peace Agreement. participated in the meetings.

Nevertheless, violence against human

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES rights defenders remained widespread. The

Between December 2016 and July 2024, the situation in departments and regions such as

ICRC documented 1,730 new enforced Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Magdalena Medio,

disappearances and warned that, even Norte de Santander and Valle del Cauca was
2
though Colombia had strong institutions to particularly concerning.

deal with this issue, searches were still The We Are Defenders Programme

challenging. recorded 355 attacks against 318 human

Since its creation in 2017, the Search Unit rights defenders between January and June,

for Missing Persons had found alive and including killings, threats, arbitrary detention,

identiûed 23 people up to June and, jointly torture, enforced disappearance, abduction

with other institutions, had recovered 1,626 and forced displacement 3 a 24% decrease

bodies, of which 375 were between January in aggressions compared with the same

and June 2024. period in 2023. Between July and September

A National Search System was launched in the programme recorded 205 attacks against

May, with the aim of coordinating the 190 human rights defenders, a 23% increase

different institutions in charge of the search compared with the same period in 2023.

for missing people, including enforced Between January and November the OHCHR

disappearances. reported 186 allegations of killings of human

In June, Congress passed a bill rights defenders in Colombia, of which 80

recognizing the work of women searching for cases had been veriûed, 11 were still under

forcibly disappeared people and establishing veriûcation and 95 were inconclusive.

a set of measures to guarantee these In March the Inter-American Court of

women9s rights, including to safety, a life free Human Rights found Colombia responsible

of violence, education, health, housing, for a campaign of persecution against the

justice, and others. At the end of the year, Lawyers Collective <José Alvear Restrepo=.

these women were still claiming their rights The court determined that from 1990 to at

and demanding for the law to be fully least 2005 various Colombian institutions
1
implemented. conducted arbitrary intelligence activities

targeting the collective and its members,

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS violating their right to defend human rights,

In June the Ministry of Interior issued a call among others.

for applications to the restructured

Comprehensive Programme on Security and DISCRIMINATION

Protection for Communities and According to OCHA, as of March, 23% of the

Organizations in the Territories. This collective 8.3 million people with humanitarian needs

protection initiative was aimed at enhancing resulting from the combined negative effects

Colombia 133
of the actions of armed actors, the loss of use of force, but it called for deeper reform

ancestral territories and climate change were within the police. The coalition presented a

Indigenous and Afro-descendant. report on these issues to the Ministry of

Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant Defence and the police in November.

communities continued to disproportionately In September, several UN human rights

suffer human rights violations and breaches experts expressed concern about the lack of

of international humanitarian law. As of truth, justice and accountability over the

December, CODHES reported that at least killings and other human rights violations

2,446 victims of large-scale group forced committed during the 2021 National Strike.

displacements were Afro-descendants living Also in September, the Attorney General

in collective territories under the authority of issued a directive with guidance on the

community councils. At least 8,336 prosecution of possible crimes committed

Indigenous People who lived in reservations during protests, outlining the applicable

were also victims. As of 5 November, the human rights standards. Meanwhile, police

Ombudsperson9s Ofûce reported that 50% of and military judges continued requesting

the children recruited by armed groups were cases of human rights violations against

from Indigenous communities. protesters to be handed over to the military

Violence against human rights defenders justice system. In September, the

was predominantly concentrated in rural Constitutional Court ruled that the case

communities and disproportionately affected regarding the attack on Leidy Cadena had to

peasant, Indigenous and Afro-descendant remain within the ordinary criminal justice

defenders. The We Are Defenders system.

Programme reported that of the 355

aggressions against human rights defenders FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

recorded up to June, 111 had targeted In September, in compliance with an order

Indigenous leaders, four had targeted Afro- issued by the Inter-American Court of Human

descendant leaders, and 39 had targeted Rights in the Bedoya Lima v. Colombia case,

peasant leaders. the government established the <It9s Not a

Civil society organization ILEX Legal Action Time to be Silent= Fund, intended to support

and the UN Working Group of Experts on prevention, protection and assistance

People of African Descent insisted that the programmes for women journalists who were

methods of data collection on Afro- victims of gender-based violence.

descendant people continued to marginalize In the same month, President Gustavo

those communities and hindered the Petro signed an executive order on the duties

development of more targeted policies to of authorities regarding freedom of

address inequalities, discrimination and expression including that of the press, aimed

racism. at enabling public debate and plurality of

information. Despite this, throughout the year

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY the Foundation for Freedom of the Press

The NGO Temblores registered 78 cases of (FLIP) urged the president to de-escalate

police violence in Colombia between January tensions with the media. In July, following

and June. Of those cases 19 involved action confrontations between the president and a

by the police during protests, the context in journalist, the Inter-American Commission on

which police violence was most documented. Human Rights called on the authorities to

In August the Coalition for Police Reform take appropriate measures to prevent violent

called for the government to move forward discourse against the press and to ensure the

with the comprehensive police reform protection of journalists from threats. In

promised since 2022. The coalition September, FLIP, along with the NGO El

recognized that the government had opened Veinte and a group of women journalists, ûled

dialogues several times and that steps had for legal protection against stigmatizing

been taken to modify the regulations on the statements by the president.

134 Amnesty International Report

In February the Ombudsperson9s Ofûce In September the president reported having

released the results of a survey of journalists proof of the purchase. In November the

indicating that 37% of respondents reported Colombian ambassador in the USA reported

having been subjected to actions that posed that the US government had conûrmed

a serious threat to their safety while having purchased Pegasus for use in anti-

performing their journalistic duties. FLIP drugs operations in Colombia and that its use

recorded 524 attacks against journalists, had been suspended in 2022. Authorities

including two killings, 213 threats and 72 including the Ministry of Defence stated that

cases of stigmatization. they had not had access to the software. On

several occasions members of the 2021

WOMEN9S RIGHTS government denied the purchase.

The Ombudsperson9s Ofûce recorded 1,310

cases of violence against women in January RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

and February. The Colombian Observatory on REPARATION

Feminicides reported 815 cases from the Throughout the year, various stakeholders

beginning of the year up to November. called upon the Special Jurisdiction for Peace

In September, the Peace and (JEP) to deliver its ûrst rulings. They put

Reconciliation Foundation reported threats particular emphasis on the rulings

and increased violence by the armed group concerning the former Revolutionary Armed

EGC against women in Chocó department, Forces of Colombia and its abduction policy,

especially in the department9s capital Quibdó. as well as the extrajudicial executions carried

out by military personnel to falsely claim

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS fulûlment of combat objectives. The president

LGBTI activists and human rights defenders of the JEP and some victims9 organizations

continued to face threats and attacks called for the independence of the

because of their work. Violence against jurisdiction to be respected.

LGBTI people in general also continued. In The JEP started implementing restorative,

December, the NGO Afûrmative Caribbean justice-based, early <proper sanctions=,

reported that throughout the year a including those applicable to members of the

provisional ûgure of 44 LGBTI people had military involved in extrajudicial executions.

been killed, including 21 transgender women The State Crimes Victims9 Movement and

killed up to October. several human rights organizations called for

greater, binding and more meaningful

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS participation in their design and

In August, the health authorities published implementation.

regulations granting access to abortion In January, the government revoked the

services until 24 weeks of pregnancy, as decorations of a former major general who

mandated by a 2022 Constitutional Court was convicted for his involvement in the

ruling. Nevertheless, in September enforced disappearance of ûve individuals

organizations including Profamilia and Ríos during the 1985 retaking of the Palace of

Rivers reported the persistence of obstacles Justice, an operation under his command.

preventing access to abortion services, In May, Congress passed a bill reforming

especially in rural municipalities and where the Victims9 Reparation Law proposed by the

people had fewer ûnancial resources. Ombudsperson9s Ofûce.

In September the Kroc Institute for

UNLAWFUL TARGETED SURVEILLANCE International Peace Studies reported that

A report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz Colombia was probably not going to fulûl the

initiated controversy around the alleged commitments of the ethnic chapter or those

purchase in 2021 of Pegasus, highly invasive relating to the ethnic approach in the 2016

spyware that enables full and unrestricted Peace Agreement, given the rate of progress

access to a device, and its use in Colombia. so far. The report also noted that less

Colombia 135
progress had been made on the ethnic- The Inter-American Commission on

related commitments than the general ones. Human Rights also expressed concerns

In September, the president of the JEP regarding the absence of migratory and

reiterated concerns regarding the insufûcient health authorities in municipalities near the

ûnancial resources available for the Darién Gap, the border region between

implementation of <proper sanctions= against Panama and Colombia, which serves as a

perpetrators who accepted early migratory route for individuals travelling

responsibility for crimes committed during northward through the Americas.

the armed conüict.

Also in September, the ûrst adversarial RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

proceedings in the JEP started. The case In April the Constitutional Court reviewed an

involved a former colonel allegedly application for legal protection ûled by a

responsible for more than 70 extrajudicial peasant couple seeking recognition as

executions carried out between 2002 and victims of forced displacement due to a river

2004 during his command of a battalion in üood. The court issued an order directing

Valledupar city, Cesar department. Congress to enact a legislative framework

addressing displacement caused by

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS environmental events, including those linked

As of November, Migration Colombia reported to climate change.

the presence of 2.8 million Venezuelan In August, the Constitutional Court ruled

nationals in the country. Among these, that the Escazú Agreement was in line with

2,086,436 individuals held regularized the Colombian constitution, paving the way

migratory status, 336,786 were awaiting the for its ratiûcation.

completion of the regularization process, and

384,943 had irregular migratory status. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

In April the Constitutional Court reiterated Congress rejected the health and education

that requiring Venezuelan nationals seeking reform bills presented by the government in

recognition of refugee status to relinquish the ûrst half of the year, while the pensions

temporary regularization measures was reform was enacted into law in July.

unconstitutional. Discussions on labour reform persisted

In July, NGO Diverse Colombia insisted on throughout the year, with new bills on health

the need to gather statistical information and education announced during the second

about LGBTI migrants in the country. The half of the year.

NGO reported that transgender Venezuelan

people in Colombia faced signiûcant

obstacles to access regularization 1. Transforming Pain Into Rights: Risks, Threats and Attacks on

programmes using their chosen identity Women Searchers in Colombia, 3 December ±

names and gender. 2. <Colombia: Investigate threats and attacks against defenders=,

In September, many Venezuelan human 23 February ±

rights defenders reported that they had

received threats from armed groups while in

Colombia. CONGO
Following a visit to the country in April, the

Inter-American Commission on Human Republic of the Congo

Rights, in its preliminary ûndings,

acknowledged that Colombia had progressed

Hundreds of people were arbitrarily arrested
in implementing certain integration and during a police operation. Opposition
temporary protection policies for ûgures were arbitrarily detained. NGOs
Venezuelans. However, the commission denounced the absence of public data on
emphasized the urgent need to strengthen gender-based violence and impunity for
these measures.

136 Amnesty International Report

incidents of sexual violence. The authorities munitions of war=. The UN Working Group on

granted an oil exploration permit within a Arbitrary Detention declared that their

protected natural park. The Ministry for the detention was arbitrary.

Environment suspended the activities of a

lead recycling company in Vindoulou due to WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

health risks and ordered its dismantling. A report submitted by several NGOs to the

The right to health was undermined by lack UN Human Rights Council9s January UPR

of progress on health projects. The session highlighted that, despite progress

authorities forcibly relocated residents of with the 2022 Mouebara Law to combat

Mpili village to make way for potash violence against women, signiûcant barriers

extraction. remained, particularly in victims9 access to

justice. The NGOs highlighted the absence of

BACKGROUND ofûcial, consolidated public statistics on

In September, opposition parties requested gender-based violence disaggregated by

that President Sassou Nguesso set up a gender, age or type of violence, and reported

national political dialogue before the 2026 that the number of prosecutions for gender-

presidential election. based violence remained very low. According

The same month, the International to data collected by International Solidarity

Monetary Fund approved a USD 43 million Actions in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire from

loan to support the Congolese economy but 2020 to 2022, out of 332 victims of gender-

requested more efforts to improve the based violence whose cases were monitored

transparency of public ûnances and the by the organization, only 130 ûled complaints

hydrocarbon sector, and a continuation of with police or gendarmerie services. Of these,

work to ûght corruption. In March, US federal 46 reached the courts, resulting in only seven

prosecutors alleged that <funds embezzled convictions (2%). Additionally, 60 cases

from the state coffers= were used to purchase (18%) were resolved through out-of-court

a luxury apartment at Trump International settlements. The organization also

Hotel and Tower for the use of Sassou denounced the lack of training for judicial

Nguesso9s daughter. personnel and hospital staff in dealing with

Congo experienced numerous power cuts, victims, particularly children.

often leaving districts in the capital,

Brazzaville and in Pointe-Noire in darkness. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

In January, dozens of Congolese and

ARBITRARY DETENTION international organizations denounced the

In May, the Brazzaville authorities launched granting by the state authorities of an oil

Opération Coup de Poing to combat crime. In exploration permit to China Oil Natural Gas

June, the public prosecutor announced in a Overseas Holding United in Conkouati-Douli

public statement that 580 individuals had National Park. The deal was made despite a

been arrested, of whom 247 were later recent USD 50 million agreement with

released. The Action Development Centre 3 a international donors for forest protection. The

Congolese NGO 3 described the arrests as park, known for its rich biodiversity and

arbitrary and criticized the lack of access to traditional ûshing communities, is protected

legal representation and the ill-treatment of by a 1999 decree that prohibits oil extraction.

detainees. In June, the Ministry for the Environment

André Okombi Salissa and Jean-Marie ordered the suspension of operations by the

Michel Mokoko remained in prison. The two Metssa Congo recycling company in

men had been candidates in the 2016 Vindoulou, Pointe Noire department, due to

presidential election and were sentenced in potential risks to the health of the
1
2019 and 2018 respectively to 20 years9 surrounding populations and environment.

imprisonment for <undermining state The Ministry initiated a <technical

security= and <illegal possession of arms and investigation= in August on air pollution

Congo 137
caused by the company, in which blood tests 2. <Republic of Congo: Authorities failing to ensure respect of

were conducted on employees and residents. human rights by big industry=, 4 June ±

In December, following the technical

investigation, the company began its

dismantling operations, and the authorities CÔTE D9IVOIRE

announced their intention to establish a

commission tasked with identifying victims Republic of Côte d9Ivoire

and facilitating compensation.

The company, which manufactures lead Rights to freedom of expression and

ingots, had not conducted an environmental peaceful assembly were curtailed in law and
impact assessment before beginning practice. New ordinance threatened the
operations in 2013, in violation of Congolese right to freedom of association and
law, and blood tests undertaken at the undermined civil society organizations. An
initiative of residents revealed lead levels far act amending the Criminal Code increased
2
exceeding WHO recommended limits. the penalties for acts of torture. Thousands

of families were affected by forced evictions

RIGHT TO HEALTH in Abidjan. Legal provisions contravened
On 24 April the Congolese coalition Publish women9s rights. There were concerns about
What You Pay published a report revealing the persistent use of child labour. The
that only 2% of the 55 health projects they government received an International
monitored between 2020 and 2022, totalling Monetary Fund loan to prepare for its
CFA 160 billion (around USD 268 million), energy transition.
were completed. The report highlighted that

51% of these projects had not even been BACKGROUND

started. Only 17% of pregnant women with Political tensions rose ahead of the 2025

mild cases of malaria received free treatment, presidential election. In August, Kando

and only 6% of women needing caesarean Soumahoro, a leader of the Generations and

sections received the procedure for free, Peoples Solidarity (GPS) movement, received

despite free caesarean sections being a three-year prison sentence including one

introduced by presidential decree in 2021. year suspended. The conviction related to his

membership of GPS, which had been

FORCED EVICTIONS established by the exiled former prime

In July, several residents of Mpili, Kouilou minister Guillaume Soro and suspended in

department, denounced their forced 2021.

relocation to make way for the extraction of Intense rainfall in June led to üooding and

potash by the Chinese company Luyuan des landslides. At least 24 people died in Abidjan

Mines Congo. The residents were relocated to according to the National Ofûce of Civil

smaller plots, where the houses lacked an Protection.

electricity supply. Those who had had larger By August, there were over 56,000

plots used for farming and forest exploitation registered asylum seekers who had üed

lost access to their livelihoods. The conüict in Burkina Faso.

authorities claimed that the expropriation and

resettlement were conducted in consultation FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND PEACEFUL

with Mpili residents and in compliance with
ASSEMBLY
domestic law. However, the Congolese Justice Legal provisions continued to contravene

and Peace Commission expressed concerns international human rights standards by

that they amounted to forced evictions. imposing prison sentences for acts which

1. <Republic of Congo: Suspension of Metssa Congo9s activities must

be followed by urgent investigation=, 19 June ±

138 Amnesty International Report

should be decriminalized. The Criminal RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

Code9s Article 183 imposed <a one to three- REPARATION

year prison sentence= for publishing, In March, the Council of State declared that it

disseminating, divulging or reproducing <by lacked the jurisdiction to rule on a 2019

any means whatsoever fake news& when application from human rights organizations

doing so results in or could result in a failure requesting the repeal of a 2018 amnesty law.

to abide by laws, damage to public morale, or The law beneûted hundreds of people

disrepute for the institutions or their accused or convicted of offences committed

operation.= Articles 197 to 199 carried a during the 2011 post-electoral violence.

prison sentence for anyone participating in,

or organizing, an undeclared demonstration. FORCED EVICTIONS

In September, the police violently Large-scale operations to demolish

repressed a march 3 previously banned by neighbourhoods in Abidjan and evict their

the authorities 3 in Abidjan, arresting around inhabitants were launched in January on

20 people. The Acting for the People sites considered to be at risk of üooding. The

movement had organized the protest against Boribana neighbourhood was demolished in

the high cost of living and forced evictions. January, followed by Gesco and Banco 1 in

February and Abattoir in June as part of a

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION plan by the Autonomous District of Abidjan to

On 12 June, the government adopted an demolish 176 sites. Thousands of affected

ordinance regulating civil society families were not meaningfully consulted on

organizations9 activities with the stated aim of the conditions of their eviction, or given

ensuring that they complied with adequate notiûcation in advance of the

requirements to ûght transnational organized demolitions. Most households and owners

crime. Organizations were required to submit were not given prior compensation or
1
activity reports annually and reports on rehoused. On 21 November, the authorities

ongoing projects upon request. The decided to suspend the eviction operations

ordinance also allowed the authorities to and committed to take measures for

dissolve an organization by decree, with no rehousing and compensating those affected.

mechanism for appeal. The move was

denounced by some Ivoirian NGOs who WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

feared that the authorities would use the law Legal provisions continued to contravene

to interfere in their ûnances and control their women9s rights, including Article 403 of the

activities. Criminal Code, which allowed impunity for

men who rape their wives by stating that

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT consent can be presumed, unless <proved

In its concluding observations, published in otherwise=.

August, the UN Committee against Torture In June, the National Assembly adopted a

welcomed the adoption of Act No. 2024-358 legislative amendment to the Criminal Code

of 11 June 2024 of the Criminal Code, which to allow abortion in cases of incest, formerly

strengthened penalties for acts of torture available only in cases of rape or where the

committed by public ofûcials or anyone mother9s life was threatened.

acting at their instigation or with their

consent. However, the committee was CHILDREN9S RIGHTS

concerned about a Code of Criminal In his July report, the UN Special Rapporteur

Procedure provision which might give judges on contemporary forms of slavery expressed

scope to admit evidence obtained by his concern about the persistent use of child

coercion or torture. labour, particularly in the artisanal gold

mining sector, and in agriculture and

domestic work.

Côte d9Ivoire 139

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT organizations described it as violating

In February, the International Monetary Fund international standards on freedom of

agreed a USD 1.3 billion loan to help Côte expression.

d9Ivoire improve climate resilience and In September the NGO Media Freedom

transition to renewable energy. The funding Rapid Response called the state of media

aimed to improve governance of climate freedom <alarming=.

policies, create a framework for green and

sustainable ûnance, and reduce greenhouse SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

gas emissions. It did, however, increase the Women and pregnant people continued to

country9s debt burden. face barriers to abortion services due to

widespread refusal by doctors and clinics to

perform abortions on grounds of conscience.

1. <Côte d9Ivoire: Thousands of families still awaiting support Abortion remained particularly inaccessible in

measures after forced evictions in Abidjan=, 14 August ± rural and economically deprived areas.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

CROATIA In March, parliament introduced femicide as

a separate criminal offence and imposed

Republic of Croatia longer sentences for rape, among other

measures aimed at strengthening victims9

Strategic lawsuits against public rights.

participation threatened media freedom. Civil society groups noted that, despite the

legislative changes, conviction for femicide

Access to abortion remained restricted.
was rare and urged the government to
Femicide became a criminal offence.
Victims of wartime rape faced obstacles in strengthen education and prevention

accessing rights. Roma continued to programmes.

experience discrimination in housing and The authorities registered 17 cases of

education. femicide in 2024. Domestic violence offences

increased by 9% in comparison with 2023.

The Gender Equality Ombudsperson said that

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
the length of criminal proceedings and
Strategic lawsuits against public participation
lenient penalties were causing many women
(SLAPPs) remained a serious threat to media

freedom. According to a study by the to refrain from reporting violence.

Croatian Journalists9 Association, 40% of over A gynaecologist at Osjek hospital

1,300 lawsuits brought against media outlets continued to work for six months after

and journalists in the preceding eight years, receiving a ûrst-instance verdict of raping a

patient, causing a public outcry. He was

including by senior public ofûcials,
ûnally removed in September. The
demonstrated elements of a SLAPP.
ombudsperson urged the government to
Despite repeated calls to decriminalize

defamation, it remained a criminal offence adopt urgent legislative changes to ensure

and was used to bring both criminal and civil that individuals charged with or convicted of

charges against journalists. The human rights certain criminal offences, including rape,

organization Article 19 warned that this could not be employed in health institutions.

practice <suffocates journalism=.

In March, parliament adopted a new RIGHT TO PRIVACY

The ombudsperson asked the authorities to

criminal offence of <unauthorized disclosure

of information from ongoing criminal ensure that the new Law on the Central

investigations=. Although the legislation Register of the Population, which was

expressly exempted journalists and pending adoption by parliament, included

disclosures of <public interest=, media robust safeguards for data protection and

protection against discrimination.

140 Amnesty International Report

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS repeal these conditions, saying that they

In September the Administrative Court in the perpetuate the <pathologization of trans

capital Zagreb upheld the detention of people=.

Vladislav Arinichev, a Russian anti-war

activist who applied for asylum in Croatia. In Roma

July the authorities rejected his application Roma continued to live in segregated

after the State Intelligence Agency declared neighbourhoods and informal settlements

him a threat to national security following his without adequate infrastructure and with

public criticism of the conditions in a limited access to basic services.

reception centre for asylum seekers. Vladislav Roma children had low rates of enrolment

Arinichev was ûnally released in October after in preschool education and tended to be in

106 days in detention. ethnically segregated classes or special

education programmes, leading to high

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND dropout rates.

REPARATION In July the UN Human Rights Committee

Most victims of wartime sexual violence called on Croatia to intensify efforts to

remained unregistered for a special status address the de facto segregation of Roma

guaranteeing certain welfare beneûts and and guarantee non-discriminatory access to

support, due to barriers in the application adequate housing, education and basic

process, including onerous documentation. services.

According to civil rights organizations, less

than 15% of those eligible applied. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

In August the NGO Youth Initiative for In June the government announced that

Human Rights called on the authorities of more than 75% of total electricity production

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia capacity would come from renewable sources

to work together to ensure access to justice by 2030 and that the country9s updated

and reparations for the victims of a refugee National Energy and Climate Plan would be

massacre in 1995 in which the Croatian Air more ambitious.

Force killed 14 Serb refugees near the

Bosnian town of Petrovac.

The UN Human Rights Committee urged CUBA

Croatia to strengthen cooperation with

neighbouring countries to locate and try Republic of Cuba

suspected perpetrators of crimes under

international humanitarian law and to ensure Social services were reduced and people
that victims and their families receive full struggled to access food and medicine.
reparation for human rights violations. Freedom of expression was further
In February, Croatia signed the 2023 restricted. Arbitrary arrests and the
Ljubljana 3 The Hague Convention on criminalization of activists, human rights
International Cooperation in the Investigation defenders, journalists and protesters
and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, persisted. Detainees experienced
Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and harassment and ill-treatment.
Other International Crimes. Discrimination continued against women,

Afro-descendants and LGBTI people.

DISCRIMINATION

LGBTI people BACKGROUND

In July, an independent study revealed that

Legal gender recognition continued to require
the population had declined by 18% over the
a mental health diagnosis or psychological
previous two years, largely due to people
evaluation. The Council of Europe Human

Rights Commissioner urged the authorities to

Cuba 141
leaving the country, often taking dangerous had been threatened with criminal

routes to do so. prosecutions.

Several legal amendments were approved

that impacted the existence and operation of ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

the so-called <new private forms of The authorities subjected artists, intellectuals

economy=, limiting the growth of the sector and other critical voices to arbitrary detention

and economic and employment including in their homes, with serious

opportunities, and affecting access to basic implications for their privacy and right to

goods and services provided by them. freedom of movement.

In June, academic Alina Bárbara López

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS was arbitrarily and violently detained while on

Changes to economic policy and a reduction her way to the capital city, Havana.

in social services affected vulnerable people, Berta Soler, the leader of activist group

especially those over 65 years. According to Ladies in White was arbitrarily detained on

media reports, the supply of subsidized several occasions, including a three-day

<basic food baskets= by the government was enforced disappearance in September.

signiûcantly reduced and people had to stand

in long queues to access groceries. In FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

September, the government decreased the The authorities regularly deployed police in

subsidized bread ration due to a shortage of areas where protests had taken place and

ingredients. other key areas such as Havana.

Health services and access to medicines According to human rights organizations,

were severely limited. In July, ofûcial media at least 109 people were detained for
1
such as Granma reported that the authorities participating in protests in 2024. In

acknowledged a signiûcant shortage of November, the authorities reported the arrest

supplies in pharmacies. and prosecution of several people for their

Access to electricity and fuel was restricted participation in protests following Hurricane

leading to difûculties in food preservation, Rafael, on charges of contempt, public

suspension of education and health services. disorder and damage.

In October and November, there were three In April, 14 people were convicted for

total failures in the national electricity supply, participating in peaceful protests in August

according to government communications. 2022 in the municipality of Nuevitas. The

Signiûcant parts of the country remained charges included sedition, <continued enemy

without power for up to 96 hours, severely propaganda=, and acts against state security.

affecting millions of people. According to available information, the

harshest sentence of 15 years9 imprisonment

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION was handed down to a young woman,

In October the Social Communication Law Mayelín Rodríguez Prado, who was charged

came into force, further restricting freedom of with sedition and enemy propaganda for

expression. streaming the protests on Facebook.

The authorities continued labelling activists

and journalists as <common criminals, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

mercenaries and foreign agents= and called Repressive tactics against dissent included

independent media outlets, journalists and the criminalization and harassment of

inüuential individuals that criticize state activists, journalists and human rights

policies <ûnancial and media terrorists=. defenders, internet shutdowns, and ûnes

2
In October a new wave of state repression under cybersecurity legislation.

affected independent media. At least 20 The authorities subjected human rights

journalists and activists reported that their activists and defenders, including relatives of

mobile phones and laptops had been prisoners, to alarming harassment and

conûscated by state ofûcials, and that they surveillance.

142 Amnesty International Report

Persistent patterns of repression targeting organizations reported 55 femicides up to 25

activists, human rights defenders, artists and December.

journalists included bans on leaving the

country and forced exile.

In June, Yuri Valle Roca, who was serving 1. <Cuba: Three years after the protests of 11-12 July 2021:

a sentence of ûve years9 imprisonment for authorities must release those unjustly imprisoned and repeal

<continued enemy propaganda= because of repressive laws=, 7 July ±

his work as an independent journalist, was 2. <Cuba: Amnesty International names four people as prisoners of

released and forced to leave the country. conscience amid new wave of state repression=, 23 October

(Spanish only) ±

INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS 3. <Cuba: Teacher in need of medical attention=, 7 July (Spanish

There were alarming patterns of human only) ±

rights violations against people detained for

dissent against the government, including

some practices that could amount to torture.

CYPRUS
Human rights organizations reported

harassment and ill-treatment by prison Republic of Cyprus

ofûcials of people detained for political

reasons, including the denial of adequate The premises of an anti-racist NGO were
medical care resulting in the deterioration of attacked with an explosive device. Unlawful
their health. forced returns to Lebanon reportedly
The health of prisoners of conscience continued. The processing of asylum
Loreto Hernández and Pedro Albert
applications of Syrian nationals was
deteriorated and their families reported
suspended. An inquest into the death of
serious difûculties providing them with the army conscript Athanasios Nicolaou
3
food and medicines they needed. In concluded that he had been strangled.
November, Pedro Albert was released on a

one-year <extra-penal= leave of absence for REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

health reasons. In January, the premises of anti-racist NGO
Prisoner of conscience and opposition
KISA were severely damaged by an attack
leader José Daniel Ferrer was held for
with an explosive device, following reports of
months in solitary conûnement and isolated
threats and harassment against KISA and its
from other prisoners, and his family was associates by anti-migrant and nationalist

systematically denied the right to visit him. In groups. Concerns were raised about the

November, his family reported that he had criminal prosecution of KISA9s former

been the victim of a brutal beating. In executive director Doros Polykarpou, which
December, following a hunger strike, the
appeared to be motivated by his human
authorities allowed his family visiting rights
rights work.
and telephone calls, and he was moved to an
In April, the authorities suspended the
area with other prisoners. processing of applications for international

protection by Syrian nationals, <pending

DISCRIMINATION developments= on the assessment of the

Women, LGBTI people and Afro-descendants situation in Syria, which the authorities called
continued to experience discrimination, as
for at EU level.
did others on political and religious grounds.
In June, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency,
Femicide continued without recognition as
expressed concerns about the summary
a speciûc crime in law. In July, the return of asylum seekers to the UN buffer

government approved a national system of zone. In November, following an interim

<registration, attention, follow-up and measures request by two NGOs to the

monitoring= of gender- based violence in the European Court of Human Rights, asylum
country. Activists and independent

Cyprus 143
seekers who had been stranded for many Cypriots and 295 Turkish Cypriots 3 were

months in the buffer zone were transferred to identiûed by the Committee on Missing

the Limnes pre-departure centre in Koûnou Persons in Cyprus.

and given access to asylum procedures. In

the context of increased numbers of asylum

seekers arriving by sea, reports emerged CZECH REPUBLIC

during the year of summary and therefore

unlawful returns by sea to Lebanon, including Czech Republic

incidents in 2023 in which Syrians were

subsequently returned to Syria. In October, Hundreds of women subjected to forced

the European Court of Human Rights sterilization remained without full
condemned Cyprus for summarily returning a compensation. A consent-based de nitionû
group of Syrians to Lebanon in 2020, in of rape was introduced into law. The
violation of the prohibition of collective Constitutional Court abolished sterilization
expulsion, and for failing to assess the risks as a requirement for legal gender
upon return. recognition. Parliament failed to ûnish
adopting a law that would have created a
EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE new children9s ombudsperson. Irresponsible
In April, there were reports of excessive use arms transfers continued. Most employed
of force during the arrest, and ill-treatment in Ukrainian refugees worked below their
detention, of people protesting at the death of û
quali cations. Climate action policies
a Bangladeshi man after he jumped from his remained inadequate.
bedroom window during a police raid in

Limassol. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

The law regulating abortion access remained

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY outdated. Many medical facilities refused to

In June, concerns were raised by civil society provide abortions to non-Czech EU citizens

about a draft bill seeking to regulate protests, due to incorrect claims by the Czech Medical

including provisions criminalizing organizers Chamber 3 refuted repeatedly by the Ministry

of and participants in a banned gathering, as of Health and the ombudsperson9s ofûce 3

well as protesters wearing face coverings. that the law did not allow it.

By year9s end the Ministry of Health had

IMPUNITY compensated 720, mainly Roma, women,

In May, a new inquest into the 2005 death of who were subjected to forced sterilizations

army conscript Athanasios Nicolaou ruled between 1 July 1966 and 31 March 2012.

that his death was murder by strangulation. The deadline for applying for compensation

The Council of Ministers appointed two expired at the end of the year. The

independent criminal investigators to reopen government9s Committee against Torture and

the case. Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading

Treatment or Punishment called for an

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT extension to the deadline, but the

Cyprus fell seven places in the Climate government did not act. In September, the

Change Performance Index. The index noted ombudsperson reprimanded the government

that Cyprus9s share of renewable energy for illegally delaying compensation. Hundreds

sources was low and that so-called <natural= of women were still waiting for compensation

gas was being promoted as a transition fuel payments of CZK 300,000 (around EUR

for domestic energy production. 12,000).

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

Between 2006 and December, the remains of

1,051 missing individuals 3 756 Greek

144 Amnesty International Report

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE RIGHT TO LIFE

The Senate refused to ratify the Council of The Czech Republic had some of the laxest

Europe Convention on preventing and gun laws in Europe. Following a mass

combating violence against women and shooting at a university in 2023 during which

domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). 17 people were killed, in June, the minister of

A new deûnition of rape in the Criminal the interior created a working group to

Code became law. From 2025, rape will be examine tightening gun laws.

deûned as <any sexual intercourse

committed against the victim9s will= or where CHILDREN9S RIGHTS

they were unable to give consent due to The government proposed a law in June to

factors such as fear or intoxication. ban corporal punishment of children. The law

A Court of Appeal judge gave a suspended was awaiting approval by parliament.

sentence to a man who had repeatedly raped Parliament failed to ûnish adopting a law that

his stepdaughter for more than two years, would have created a new children9s

sparking mass demonstrations. The Ministry ombudsperson.

of Justice introduced a bill that would require

judges to undertake additional training IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS

courses to further their professional The Czech Republic continued to export

development. However, it did not make arms to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United

training on topics including sexual violence Arab Emirates, despite lack of accountability

and domestic violence mandatory. for past violations and substantial risks that

they could be used in serious violations of

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS international human rights and humanitarian

After many years of campaigning, parliament law.

passed a new law granting additional rights to

same-sex couples but falling short of full REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

marriage equality. From 2025, same-sex As of 4 August, there were over 370,000

couples can enter into a civil partnership that Ukrainian refugees in the country, according

is supposed to give them the same rights as to data from UNHCR, the UN refugee

married heterosexual couples. However, it will agency. According to the government9s

not include full parental rights. Commissioner for Human Rights,

The Czech Republic was among the few approximately three-ûfths of them were

countries in Europe where sterilization working below the level of their qualiûcations.

remained a requirement for legal gender

recognition. The Constitutional Court issued a RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

decision in May which would abolish this The government again failed to adopt a

requirement but gave legislators until the end legally binding climate law aimed at setting

of June 2025 to amend the law. speciûc targets and enacting concrete

measures to tackle climate change.

DISCRIMINATION

A holocaust memorial to the Roma and Sinti

in Bohemia was ûnally opened on the site of

a former concentration camp.

The Czech nationalist Freedom and

Democracy movement used racist and

xenophobic rhetoric and posters in an anti-

immigration campaign. The party leader also

faced criminal complaints brought by

representatives of the Roma people.

Czech Republic 145

 BACKGROUND

DEMOCRATIC In January, President Tshisekedi was sworn

in for a second term following December

REPUBLIC OF THE 2023 presidential and parliamentary

elections. The new government was sworn in

CONGO six months after the elections, headed for the

ûrst time by a woman as prime minister.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Armed conüict in the east persisted as

political processes stalled. In September,

Attacks against civilians continued as the government forces fought against the

ü
con ict between armed groups and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of

government forces escalated. At least 100 Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group, in Nord-

civilians were killed as a result of Kivu province. Meanwhile, Ugandan and

indiscriminate shelling by government government forces continued their military

forces and armed groups. Government operations in Nord-Kivu and Ituri provinces

forces extrajudicially executed 250 people. against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a

There was an alarming increase in reported Ugandan armed group, and liberated at least

cases of sexual and gender-based violence, 500 people who had been abducted by the

ü
including con ict-related sexual violence. ADF. These military operations resulted in

More than 7 million people were internally further displacement of the population and a

displaced 3 80% of whom had üed armed worsening humanitarian crisis.

ü
con ict 3 and lived in dire conditions. The Protests were held nationwide, including in

expansion of mining projects led to mass the capital, Kinshasa, in relation to the armed

forced evictions and the denial of rights, conüict between the March 23 Movement

including to housing, health, water and (M23), an armed group allegedly supported

other essential services. The rights to by Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the

freedom of expression, peaceful assembly Congo (DRC) government forces and their

and association were restricted, particularly allies. Protests were also about the alleged

in the Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces where support of Western countries, including

a form of martial law was imposed. France, the UK and the USA, for Rwanda.

Activists, opposition members, journalists Inter-communal violence expanded in

and others were subjected to arbitrary Kasai, Kwango, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe and

arrests and detentions and denied the right Tshopo provinces and resulted in further

to a fair trial. An opposition party member grave human rights violations.

was given a prison sentence after he said he In October, President Tshisekedi

had been raped during his arbitrary announced his intention to revise the 2006

detention. More than 120 prisoners died, constitution. The Catholic Church and other

and hundreds of women prisoners were civil society actors warned that the move

raped at Makala Prison when, according to would further destabilize the country.

authorities, some inmates made an escape In August, the WHO declared a surge in

attempt. There was a spike in death Mpox cases <a public health emergency of

sentences after the government said it international concern=.

would resume executions. The justice Teachers in several provinces organized

minister instructed the prosecutor general strikes demanding salary increases.

to initiate legal proceedings against those

who advocated for LGBTI people9s rights. UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

The ICC prosecutor announced the renewal Attacks against civilians continued as the

of investigations into crimes under the conüict between armed groups and

Rome Statute committed in Nord-Kivu government forces escalated, leading to

province since January 2022. hundreds of deaths and many more injuries.

Clashes between government forces on the

146 Amnesty International Report

one hand and armed groups M23, the EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS

Cooperative for Development of the Congo At least 250 people were extrajudicially

(CODECO) and ADF on the other, were executed by government forces, according to

responsible for most of the civilian killings. the UN Joint Human Rights Ofûce.

At least 100 civilians were killed and many On 19 May, government forces executed

more injured as a result of the use by all two people, who had been held in their

parties of indiscriminate shelling in populated custody and suspected of being involved in a

areas in Nord-Kivu. Government forces and coup attempt to overthrow President

M23 used explosive weapons in populated Tshisekedi9s government in May.

areas to attack and defend their positions.

Nineteen people were killed and at least SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

25 injured on 25 January after a rocket, Local and international organizations noted

believed to be ûred by DRC forces, struck a an alarming number of reported sexual

house in Mweso, a town in Nord-Kivu violence cases, including conüict-related

province. sexual violence. According to a UN report

On 4 March, at least 17 civilians were published in April 2024, 133,000 cases of

killed and 12 injured after a shell struck a sexual violence were registered in 2023, and

group of civilians üeeing combat in Nyanzale the number of cases of conüict-related sexual

town in Nord-Kivu. Witnesses said that the violence doubled in the ûrst quarter of 2024,

shell was launched from a hill controlled by in comparison to the same quarter in 2023.

M23. In September, Médecins Sans Frontières

The ADF was responsible for some of the said it had treated more than 25,000

deadliest attacks against civilians. In April, at survivors of sexual violence in 2023, and that

least 28 civilians were killed in ADF attacks this numerical trend continued in the ûrst

carried out following reports of the killing of months of 2024. Most cases were treated in

two of its leaders, according to the Armed and around internally displaced people9s

Conüict Location & Event Data Project, an camps in the city of Goma, Nord-Kivu

NGO. In June, the group targeted and killed province. Around 40% of sexual violence

more than 200 civilians in two separate survivors were girls, according to UNICEF.

attacks in the territories of Beni and Lubero, Physicians for Human Rights, which spoke

prompting condemnation and calls by to 16 organizations providing services to

national, regional and international survivors of sexual violence, noted that the

institutions, including the AU Commission, increase in such violence was linked to

for the effective protection of civilians. various conüicts, particularly in connection

In August, nine civilians were killed in with M239s resurgence and the intensiûed

Bwito chiefdom, in Nord-Kivu, by M23 rebels ûghting between M23 and government

who were allegedly pursuing FDLR members. forces.

Between October and November, M23 killed

15 civilians in Binza village, Rutshuru INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

territory in Nord-Kivu, according to media Around 7.3 million people were internally

reports citing civil society organizations and displaced, according to OCHA, 80% of whom

local leaders. had üed due to clashes between various

In August, government forces killed at least armed groups. More than half of those

nine peaceful protesters in the town of Kilwa, displaced were women. Most internally

Pweto territory in Haut-Katanga province, displaced people lived in dire conditions, with

according to a civil society organization limited access to education, health, and

representative and several media reports. sexual and reproductive services. The

The victims were suspected of belonging to conditions were partly due to lack of funding

the Bakata Katanga, a political-religious from the international community to address

group that has sporadically fought against the humanitarian crisis and the continuous

government forces.

Democratic Republic of the Congo 147

attacks by armed groups against internally subjected to inhumane detention conditions.

displaced people9s camps. A ruling party member stated on social media

in September that she had instructed ANR

FORCED EVICTIONS ofûcers to rape him. Authorities launched an

In the city of Kolwezi in Lualaba province investigation into his allegations, which were

companies continued their expansion of made in the context of widespread claims by

industrial-scale mining for cobalt and copper, activists about the use of torture and other ill-

materials which are critical for the transition treatment in detention centres run by the

from fossil fuels to renewable energy. These ANR. On 18 December, Jacky Ndala was

operations, as in previous years, led to forced sentenced to two-and-a-half years9

evictions and other human rights violations. imprisonment for <spreading rumours= in

Affected individuals and communities said connection with his allegations.

they were frustrated at the continuous forced

evictions and lack of fair compensation for ARBITRARY DETENTION AND UNFAIR
their losses. Community representatives told TRIALS

Amnesty International that those affected also Youth activists remained unlawfully detained

faced other human rights violations and scores of opposition members,

associated with displacement, including the journalists and others were arbitrarily arrested

denial of access to education, health and for criticizing the government or simply doing

water, and other essential services. their legitimate work.

Opposition leader and businessman Seth

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION Kikuni was arrested on 2 September and

AND ASSEMBLY held incommunicado for several days before

Authorities continued to restrict the rights to being presented to a public prosecutor. He

freedom of expression, association and was transferred to Makala Prison in Kinshasa

peaceful assembly. The <state of siege= (a on 28 September and charged with <inciting

form of martial law), imposed since May civil disobedience and spreading false

2021, further restricted these rights for information=.

people in the Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces. On 19 March, journalist Stanis Bujakera

Its enforcement and continued renewal was released from prison having served a six-

violated the constitution, and regional and month sentence after he was convicted on

international human rights obligations. false charges of <spreading false

Pro-democracy activists, opposition information=. He had been arrested in

members, human rights and environmental September 2023.

defenders, and journalists were subjected to King Mwamisyo, a member of civil society

arbitrary arrests and detentions (see below), movement Fight for Change (Lutte pour le

judicial harassment and exile. Changement), remained in detention after

In February, security forces used tear gas being convicted and sentenced to ûve years9

to disperse peaceful demonstrations against imprisonment in June 2023 on a trumped-up

the alleged support by some Western charge of <contempt of the army=, for

countries of the Rwandan government9s criticizing the state of siege.

military operations in the DRC and its

backing of M23. INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS

In September, at least 129 prisoners were

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT killed during what authorities described as an

In September, Jacky Ndala, a member of the attempt by some inmates to escape from

opposition party Together for the Republic, Makala Prison. According to the interior

publicly recounted for the ûrst time his minister, 24 prisoners were shot dead by

experiences during his arbitrary detention at security forces while the rest died of

the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) in suffocation in the overcrowded prison. The

2022. He claimed that he was raped and prison was built to hold 1,500 prisoners but,

148 Amnesty International Report

at the time, housed between 14,000 and province. The ICC Trial Chamber II delivered

15,000. More than 250 women prisoners the reparations order in 2017 which was

were raped during the incident, according to conûrmed on appeal in 2018, and

the UN. reparations were implemented between 2017

and October 2023.

DEATH PENALTY In September, President Tshisekedi named

The last known execution took place in 2003. the new director general of the National

However, in March the then minister of Reparation Fund for Victims of Sexual

justice announced that executions would Violence (FONAREV). Critics, including Nobel

resume to address <treason= in the army Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, raised

amid increasing armed conüicts, mainly due concerns about FONAREV9s ineffectiveness.

to the resurgence of M23; and to curb The fund was created in 2022 and placed

violence in urban areas, including Kinshasa. under the ofûce of the First Lady. In June,

International and national organizations FONAREV had announced the launch of a

opposed the decision as a violation of the process to identify victims of sexual violence

fundamental right to life and on grounds that linked to conüicts in Beni territory with a view

the judicial system had demonstrated its to awarding compensation.

limitations in ensuring that regional and On 14 October, the Ofûce of the

international standards for fair trial were Prosecutor of the ICC announced it would

applied. Prior to the minister9s <renew its investigative efforts= in the DRC.

announcement, the president had described This announcement came in response to the

the justice system as <sick=. In October, referral made by the government to the ICC

OHCHR expressed concerns over the in May 2023. In the statement, the ICC

minister9s decision and noted a signiûcant prosecutor stressed that the investigation

increase in death sentences passed by would give <priority focus= to crimes

military courts since March. committed in Nord-Kivu province since

In September, a military court passed January 2022, including crimes committed

death sentences against people convicted in by all actors and not only crimes by particular

relation to the May coup attempt. In October, armed groups.

a military court in Kinshasa sentenced to In November, the Ministry of Justice

death a policeman involved in the killing in organized a conference to discuss the future

September of Gires Mukungi Manzanza, a of the judicial system. Authorities were also

member of the Commitment for Citizenship involved in ongoing discussions about new

and Development political party. initiatives to address conüict-related crimes,

including the possible establishment of a

LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS special court that would look into crimes

Weeks after taking ofûce in June, the justice under international law.

minister instructed the prosecutor general to In July, members of the steering

initiate legal proceedings against those who committee in charge of the Special Fund for

advocated for LGBTI people9s rights. Earlier, the Distribution of Compensation to Victims of

in April, as a member of parliament he Uganda9s Illegal Activities in the Democratic

claimed to have introduced a bill to Republic of the Congo were dismissed and

criminalize consensual same-sex sexual replaced following allegations of

relations. embezzlement of funds. Legal proceedings

were launched against the former members.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

REPARATION

In April, the ICC's Trust Fund for Victims

ended the Katanga Reparation Programme

that had beneûted victims of an armed attack

on 24 February 2003 in Bogoro village, Ituri

Democratic Republic of the Congo 149

 mother from al-Roj prison camp in Syria. The

DENMARK Supreme Court stated that sufûcient

consideration had not been given to the best

Kingdom of Denmark interests of the child, including his particular

vulnerability and speciûc needs. The boy and

Surveillance in social security led to his mother were returned to Denmark in

discrimination against marginalized groups. October. This was the ûrst time that the

Parliament incorporated into the Penal Supreme Court had ruled on whether the

Code crimes covered by the statute of the authorities were obliged to ensure children

ICC. Civil society organizations started legal with Danish nationality detained with their

proceedings to halt arms exports to Israel. mothers can return to Denmark.

The Supreme Court ruled that Denmark

must assist in the return of a Danish child IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS

and his mother from a prison camp in Syria. In March, civil society organizations initiated

legal proceedings against the Danish state,

DISCRIMINATION seeking an end to arms exports to Israel.

In November, Amnesty International issued a They claimed there was a clear risk such

report about surveillance and discrimination exports would be used to commit serious

in social security, examining the violations of international humanitarian law

consequences of the new automated and against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The

1 organizations requested that the court assess

digital system. The report highlighted

potential violations of the right to privacy, whether the exports violate the rules on the

equality and non-discrimination, as well as arms trade to which Denmark has committed

the right to social security. The move towards itself. The hearings were due to begin in

digitization and the introduction of algorithms 2025.

created a system of surveillance, leading to

direct discrimination against marginalized REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

groups, including those with disabilities, In May, the Kosovan parliament approved an

racialized people, migrants and refugees. agreement with Denmark to rent out 300

prison cells in Kosovo for foreign nationals

convicted of crimes in Denmark who were

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND
due to be deported at the end of their
REPARATION
In June, a preparatory law committee sentence. This raised concerns for the

submitted to the minister of justice human rights of people detained under the

recommendations on the incorporation of scheme.

certain crimes under international law into

the Danish Penal Code.

In December, parliament approved a new 1. Denmark: Coded Injustice: Surveillance and Discrimination in

chapter in the Penal Code that would allow Denmark9s Automated Welfare State, 12 November ±

for the prosecution in national courts of

crimes of aggression, genocide, crimes

against humanity, war crimes and torture 3 DOMINICAN

crimes covered by the statute of the ICC. Civil

society groups welcomed these reforms as an REPUBLIC

important tool to ûght impunity and promote

the protection of human rights. Dominican Republic

In August, the Supreme Court overturned

rulings by the High Court and the District Discrimination was pervasive, including
Court that Denmark was not obligated to help û
racial pro ling. Harassment against human
with the evacuation of a Danish boy and his rights defenders continued unabated.

150 Amnesty International Report

Excessive use of force was reported in raids REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

against migrants and asylum seekers. Civil society organizations and victims of

Women9s and girls9 rights were severely migration raids reported that violence and

infringed, including gender-based violence excessive use of force were recurrent during

and discrimination. raids. There were reports of warrantless raids

carried out by non-uniformed agents using

BACKGROUND violence and stealing belongings, some

2
In May, Luis Abinader was re-elected as during the night.

president. People in need of international protection

faced barriers to seeking asylum. The state

DISCRIMINATION failed to inform new arrivals about the asylum

Racial discrimination remained widespread process and imposed barriers to applying for

and structural, particularly towards visas and renewing residence permits. In

Dominicans of Haitian descent and Haitian April, residence permit renewals resumed.

asylum seekers seeking protection, impacting In October, the president announced a

their rights to access healthcare and plan to deport up to 10,000 Haitians weekly,
3
education. Racial proûling was common in risking violations of international law.

immigration operations. According to the International Organization

The president made no commitment to for Migration, the Dominican Republic

promote or develop comprehensive anti- deported 193,508 Haitians during the year,

discrimination legislation, and there were no despite the crisis and violence in that

reforms to strengthen investigations into country.

torture and other ill-treatment, despite

evidence that discriminated groups were at SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED

heightened risk. DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE

Abortion remained prohibited. In July, the

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS approval of a new Penal Code that would

Human rights defenders were threatened and have maintained the total prohibition of

harassed, especially those working on abortion and further jeopardized women9s

racism, gender or LGBTI issues. Activists and reproductive autonomy and the rights of

lawyers reported receiving death threats and LGBTI people failed.

experiencing harassment on social media. Femicide and hate crimes remained

Anti-rights groups harassed and unrecognized as speciûc criminal offences.

threatened with impunity, while authorities According to ofûcial ûgures, 94 women were

failed to protect defenders and organizations. murdered up to September.

Sexual and gender-based violence during

ARBITRARY DEPRIVATION OF NATIONALITY immigration operations was reported by

Eleven years since the Constitutional Court media outlets. In April, the media reported

ruling that retroactively deprived thousands of the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old

Dominicans of Haitian descent of their Haitian girl by a member of the military

nationality, the government had still not taken during an immigration raid. Deportation

sufûcient measures to mitigate and repair the continued of pregnant people, especially

human rights violations caused, despite an Haitian asylum seekers and Dominicans of

order by the Inter-American Court of Human Haitian descent. Stigmatization and fear of
1
Rights. detention or deportation discouraged them

In September, members of the from seeking medical attention, putting their

[Link] movement protested against the rights to life and health at serious risk.

racism and institutional barriers faced by

thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent

and demanded the restoration of their

nationality.

Dominican Republic 151

1. <Over a decade of enduring and resisting statelessness in the environment and people9s health, must be
1
Dominican Republic=, 23 September ± extinguished.

2. <President Luis Abinader9s second mandate must prioritize At the end of the year, the authorities had

respect for human rights and put an end to racist migration failed to halt oil drilling in the Amazon9s

policies=, 28 August ± Yasuni National Park, missing the deadline

3. <Dominican Republic: End racist deportations of Haitians=, 8 imposed by a 2023 referendum.

October ± Executive Decree 754 remained in force,

even though human rights organizations

continued to express concern that it was not

ECUADOR in line with international standards on the

right to participation in environmental

Republic of Ecuador decision-making processes.

Gas üaring and oil drilling in the Amazon DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

continued. Conditions in prisons remained Prisons remained chronically overcrowded

extremely poor. There were reports of and reports of torture and other ill-treatment

possible extrajudicial executions and increased after the military was given control

enforced disappearances. Human rights of prisons in January. Access to food and

defenders continued to face security risks medical services was inadequate. At least

and the government failed to protect them. three prison directors were killed during the

Arbitrary arrests were prevalent. Mining year.

went ahead without the consent of The UN Committee against Torture called

Indigenous Peoples. Access to abortion on Ecuador to address the prison crisis and

remained severely restricted. Impunity its systemic causes, <prioritizing policies of

prevailed for human rights violations rehabilitation, re-education and social

committed by security forces in 2019 and reintegration, [and] the demilitarization of

2022. control of prisons.=

BACKGROUND EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS

In January, President Daniel Noboa declared The Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce noted a spike

an <internal armed conüict= and state of in reports of possible extrajudicial executions,

emergency in response to actions by with 27 reported in the ûrst half of 2024, an

organized crime groups. Authorities increase on previous years.

maintained states of emergency throughout

the year, deploying the military to patrol the ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

streets. In April, voters in a national Human rights organizations and residents in

referendum approved further powers for the coastal regions reported several arbitrary

military in public security tasks. detentions by security forces during their

In May, the UN Special Rapporteur on operations, some of which could constitute

extreme poverty and human rights reported enforced disappearances, according to the

on <a vicious cycle of poverty and insecurity=, Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce.

predominantly affecting racialized sectors of In December, the Public Prosecutor9s

the population who continued to experience Ofûce pressed charges against 16 members

discrimination based on intersecting markers of the military for the alleged enforced

of identity. disappearance of four children in Guayaquil,

who were later found dead.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

The government continued to allow gas HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

üaring in the Amazon, despite a 2021 court Human rights defenders continued to face

ruling that üares, which can be harmful to the hostility and security risks, particularly land,

territory and environmental defenders.

152 Amnesty International Report

Incidents included threats, intimidation, RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

online violence and killings. REPARATION

Numerous human rights defenders from Several UN experts highlighted the

Las Naves, Bolívar province, faced criminal importance of the Constitutional Court

proceedings in relation to their work on the hearing in April relating to grave human

right to water in the context of mining rights violations, including forced labour and

operations. At least six of these defenders servitude, suffered by hundreds of

were sentenced to prison. agricultural workers in Ecuador9s abaca

President Noboa repeatedly stigmatized plantations over decades. Many of the

human rights defenders working for the rights workers were Afro-descendants. At the end of

of detainees. The government failed to carry the year, the Constitutional Court ruled that a

out meetings with civil society to ensure a foreign company had maintained <a practice

participative approach in designing its of servitude akin to slavery= and ordered the

security policy. company to pay individual reparations to the

In November, at least two human rights victims as well as ordering a public policy to

defenders were arrested while observing combat servitude.

protests against power shortages in the

capital, Quito. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Despite legal advances in recent years,

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS access to abortion remained severely

Security forces carried out thousands of restricted even in circumstances allowed by

possible arbitrary arrests, resorting to the law. The lack of information about legal

pretext of on-the-spot arrests of people protections, social stigma and denial of lawful

caught committing a crime, apparently with services for reasons of conscience, among

little justiûcation. Civil society organizations other barriers, impeded pregnant people

and media sources suggested that these from exercising their reproductive rights.

arrests were disproportionately directed at

groups historically subject to discrimination, IMPUNITY

including Afro-descendants, Indigenous Human rights violations committed by

Peoples, people of lower socio-economic security forces during protests in 2019 and

status and young people. Authorities failed to 2022 remained unpunished.

maintain fully transparent records of these

arrests.

1. Ecuador: The Amazon is Burning, the Future is Burning!, 12

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS August ±

In March, in Cotopaxi province, more than 70

individuals, including Indigenous leaders and

human rights defenders, faced criminal EGYPT

investigations following protests against

mining activities and a consultation process Arab Republic of Egypt

they deemed illegitimate.

The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme The authorities continued to crack down on

poverty recommended strengthening the ü
criticism, sti e civil society and restrict
anti-discrimination framework by
street protests. Authorities carried out mass
<guaranteeing legal security of tenure
arrests to prevent planned anti-government
concerning Afro-descendants9 and
protests and forcibly dispersed the few
Indigenous peoples9 traditional land, small peaceful protests that took place.
territories and natural resources and by Authorities released 934 prisoners held for
ensuring free, prior and informed political reasons but arrested another
consultation and consent for establishing and 1,594. Those targeted included journalists,
managing protected areas.=

Egypt 153
lawyers, protesters, dissidents, opposition human rights requirements. The cost-of-living

politicians and those critical of the crisis persisted with annual inüation

government9s human rights record and measuring 24.9% in September.

handling of the economic crisis. Dozens of The Rafah border crossing with Gaza

individuals were subjected to enforced remained closed since May after Israeli

disappearance. Torture and other ill- forces took control of the Palestinian side of

treatment remained routine. Death the border and an Egyptian soldier was killed

sentences were imposed, including for in a cross-border shooting.

crimes other than <intentional killing=, after

grossly unfair trials. Executions were carried FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION

out. Impunity prevailed for grave human AND ASSEMBLY

rights violations committed in 2024 and Authorities continued to criminalize

previous years. Women and girls, religious dissenting forms of expression and peaceful

minorities and LGBTI individuals assembly, targeting journalists, lawyers,

experienced discrimination, violence and protesters, dissidents, opposition politicians

prosecution for exercising their human and those critical of the government9s human

rights. Authorities failed to protect rights record and handling of the economic

economic and social rights in the economic crisis.

crisis, adequately adjust social security Between January and March, security

measures or ensure private companies forces arbitrarily arrested at least four

complied with the minimum wage individuals who complained about price
1
requirement. The government introduced increases in comments on social media.

new legislation jeopardizing the On 31 July, authorities arbitrarily arrested

accessibility and affordability of healthcare. opposition politician Yehia Hussein

Forced evictions from informal settlements Abdelhady after he published a Facebook

continued. Thousands of refugees and post criticizing the president and the army
2
asylum seekers, most from Sudan, were and calling for regime change. He remained

arbitrarily detained and expelled. arbitrarily detained at the end of the year over

trumped-up charges of terrorism and

BACKGROUND publishing <false news=.

In April, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as Women9s rights defender and journalist

president for a third term after winning Rasha Azab, a vocal critic of the Egyptian

elections from which genuine opponents government9s response to Israel9s offensive

were barred. on Gaza, was subjected to repeated threats

The National Dialogue between the and harassment after hostilities erupted on 7

government and the opposition resumed in October 2023. This included being followed

February after being suspended in on several occasions by a group of three

September 2023, with critics lamenting the unidentiûed men and receiving warnings via

lack of tangible results and failure to intermediaries that security agencies would

implement any of the recommended political arrest her.

and human rights reforms. At least 14 media workers remained

Amid Egypt9s deepening economic and imprisoned in relation to their work, including

ûnancial crisis, the International Monetary for publishing content criticizing the

Fund, the EU, Saudi Arabia and the United government. Among them were Ashraf Omar,

Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged around USD arrested in July after he published a cartoon

57 billion in investment, loans and ûnancial criticizing the government9s plan to sell state

assistance. In March the EU announced a assets, and Khaled Mamdouh, a journalist at

EUR 7.4 billion (USD 8 billion) funding the news website Arabic Post. Both remained

package to Egypt, without human rights arbitrarily detained on trumped-up charges of

benchmarks. In September the USA terrorism and spreading <false news=.

delivered USD 1.3 billion in aid, waiving

154 Amnesty International Report

At least 562 human rights, news and other In February a court sentenced the

websites remained blocked by the politician Ahmed Al Tantawy, his campaign

authorities, according to the Association for director and 21 of his supporters to one

Freedom of Thought and Expression, an year9s imprisonment in relation to his

independent rights group. unsuccessful bid to run in the 2023

Authorities carried out arrests prior to presidential election. In May the verdict was

planned anti-government protests to prevent upheld on appeal and in December it was

them from materializing and forcibly conûrmed by the Court of Cassation.

dispersed the few small peaceful protests On 26 June the Emergency State Security

that took place. In March, security forces Criminal Court sentenced protester

forcibly dispersed a small demonstration in Mahmoud Hussein to three years in prison

3
Alexandria and arbitrarily arrested protesters for wearing an anti-torture T-shirt. He was

who raised signs blaming President al-Sisi for released in October having already spent two

<starving= the poor. years and 10 months in pretrial detention.

In July the authorities arbitrarily arrested In August, parliamentary discussions

dozens of men, at least seven women and started on a draft Code of Criminal

one child in connection with online calls for Procedures that would provide no safeguards

protests and for the ousting of President al- against the misuse of prolonged pretrial

Sisi9s government due to price increases. detention and would enable severe violations

Dozens remained in detention for expressing of the right to a fair trial, including adequate
4
solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza by defence.

peacefully protesting, posting comments In September, prominent activist Alaa

online, hanging signs or writing slogans on Abdel Fattah completed his unjust ûve-year

walls. prison sentence but the authorities failed to

5
On 20 March, after 13 years of release him.

investigations, authorities announced the In December a military court sentenced 62

closure of Case 173/2011, widely known as residents of North Sinai governorate to prison

the <foreign funding= case, which had terms ranging from three to 10 years on

involved asset freezes and travel bans for charges of damaging military vehicles and

NGO staff. However, a travel ban against using force against public servants. The trial

human rights lawyer Hoda Abdelwahab followed a sit-in in October 2023 by residents

remained in place. of Sheikh Zuwayed city, which was dispersed

forcibly by the military. The residents were

ARBITRARY DETENTION AND UNFAIR demanding to return to their homes, from

TRIALS which authorities had forcibly evicted them.

Between January and October the authorities On 24 December, President El-Sisi issued a

released at least 934 people detained for presidential pardon for 54 of them.

political reasons, mostly after they exceeded

the two-year maximum limit for pretrial ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES AND

detention. During the same period, TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

authorities arrested 1,594 people, including Security forces, including the National

ûve children, on political grounds, according Security Agency (NSA), subjected dozens of

to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and individuals held for political reasons to

Freedoms, an independent NGO. Supreme enforced disappearance for periods ranging

State Security Prosecution (SSSP) from a few days to several weeks.

prosecutors and judges routinely renewed Torture and other ill-treatment remained

pretrial detention orders for thousands of routine in prisons, police stations and NSA-

detainees without allowing them to run facilities. In February, NSA ofûcials beat

meaningfully challenge the legality of their a man and gave him electric shocks while

detention. subjecting him to enforced disappearance for

Egypt 155
eight days after he was arrested for prosecutor opened an investigation into a

publishing videos criticizing the government. complaint made by a protester who said that

Prisoners continued to be held in a police ofûcer beat her, but no information

conditions violating the absolute prohibition was made available on the progress of the

of torture and other ill-treatment, including investigation by the end of the year.

through deliberate denial of healthcare and On 23 May a group of women who were

prolonged solitary conûnement. In Badr 1 arrested at a pro-Palestine protest reported

prison and 10th of Ramadan prison, dozens that they had ûled a complaint with the

of prisoners began a hunger strike in early public prosecutor that some of them had

June to protest their cruel and inhuman been subjected to sexual assault during body

detention conditions, lack of access to searches and harassment during detention.

adequate healthcare, reduction in the time The public prosecutor referred the complaint

allowed for exercising outside their cell, and to the SSSP, which failed to investigate.

restrictions on family visits. The prison

authorities forced many to end the strike by ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

transferring striking prisoners to other Economic and social rights, including the

facilities and placed others in solitary rights to an adequate standard of living and

conûnement. to health, were severely undermined by the

economic crisis. The government failed to

DEATH PENALTY meet the constitutionally mandated allocation

Criminal courts, including those handling of at least 3% of GDP to health and 6% of

terrorism-related cases, imposed death GDP to education.

sentences following unfair trials. Offences Repeated rises in fuel prices affected the

punishable by death included crimes that did price of food and essential services. In June

not amount to <intentional killing=, such as the authorities quadrupled the subsidized

drug trafûcking and rape, in violation of price of bread. The government failed to

international law and standards. Executions adequately mitigate the effects of inüation on

were carried out. people living in poverty, with spending on

social protection representing only 0.2% of

IMPUNITY GDP.

Impunity prevailed for unlawful killings, In September the government announced

torture, enforced disappearance and other the end of daily power cuts in place since

grave human rights violations committed in July 2023.

2024 and previous years, including the In June, President al-Sisi ratiûed a new law

unlawful killings of at least 900 people when privatizing healthcare, jeopardizing the

sit-ins by supporters of the ousted president, accessibility and availability of health

Mohamed Morsi, were violently dispersed on services, particularly for those lacking health
6
14 August 2013. insurance and/or living in poverty.

Authorities failed to investigate adequately

the causes and circumstances of at least 43 WORKERS9 RIGHTS

deaths in custody following reports of In February, President al-Sisi raised the

physical torture and other ill-treatment or minimum monthly wage for public sector

denial of healthcare. No investigations were workers from EGP 4,000 (around USD

opened into the death of Ibrahim al-Ajeery on 82.50) to EGP 6,000 (around USD 125). In

1 January at Badr 3 prison after years of April, the government also raised the

medical negligence, including denying him minimum wage for private sector workers to

adequate diabetes medication. EGP 6,000 but took no measures against

Prosecutors, particularly SSSP companies paying below the minimum wage.

prosecutors, dismissed or ignored most In February, NSA agents arrested two

complaints of police torture. In a rare case workers from Ghazl al-Mahalla, a public

known to Amnesty International, a regular sector company, after questioning dozens of

156 Amnesty International Report

workers for striking to demand the minimum October, residents of the island publicly

wage. They were provisionally released in demanded adequate compensation. Security

May pending investigations by the SSSP into forces cordoned off the island, preventing

charges of <joining a terrorist group= and residents from bringing in construction

publishing <false news=. materials to build new homes or extend

On 17 August, workers at another public existing homes. Authorities had kept the

sector company, Samanoud Weaving and island9s only health facility closed since 2021,

Textile, organized a strike demanding the restricting residents9 access to healthcare.

minimum wage. On 25 August, authorities In February the UAE and Egypt signed a

arrested ûve men and four women and USD 35 billion agreement to develop the

investigated them over charges including approximately 16,430 hectares of Ras al-

<inciting the intentional obstruction of a Hekma, a village located on Egypt9s

means of production=. They were released Mediterranean coast. Residents ignored

within two weeks, according to the Egyptian government orders to vacate their houses as

Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), an they considered the compensation offered by

independent NGO. the government to be inadequate. Authorities

In September, to address the ongoing imposed a media blackout on the issue. On

teacher shortage, the Ministry of Education 10 March, authorities arrested Mada Masr

announced it would hire 50,000 teachers on journalist Rana Mamdouh while she was

limited hourly contracts under which their travelling to report on the situation in Ras al-

monthly earnings would fall signiûcantly Hekma. She was released on bail later that

below the minimum wage. day after the SSSP questioned her about

In April the State Council, Egypt9s complaints that she had incited residents to

administrative court, began reviewing appeals terrorism. In April, videos circulated on social

submitted by the EIPR on behalf of teachers media showing skirmishes between residents

who were excluded from appointments in and members of the security forces who had

public schools on discriminatory grounds attempted to enter houses to take inventories

such as being pregnant or <overweight=. of residents9 belongings. On 16 December,

prime minister Moustafa Madbouly

RIGHT TO HOUSING announced that the government had paid

In February, without prior consultations with EGP 5.5 billion (around USD 108,154

residents or offers of compensation, million) to residents who were required to

authorities began to carry out forced evictions vacate their homes. He did not specify

and house demolitions in El-Gameel whether this amount covered all those

neighbourhood, Port Said, which was home affected.

to around 2,500 households. The

government justiûed the demolitions by citing DISCRIMINATION

plans to develop the region. One man died Women

during the demolitions, but the authorities

Women continued to face discrimination in
failed to carry out an impartial and
law and practice, including in matters of
independent investigation into the causes
marriage, divorce, child custody and political
and circumstances of his death.
ofûce. Long-promised amendments to the
In July the government announced a
Personal Status Law stalled amid concerns
partnership between Emirati and local
over lack of meaningful consultation with
investors to develop a real estate project on
women human rights defenders.
Warraq Nile Island. On 26 September, police
In October the General Authority for
ûred rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a
Passports, Immigration and Nationality
protest organized by residents in response to
issued discriminatory directives requiring
reports of police abuse. At least seven
women from <lower classes= to obtain
residents were injured according to Mada
permission from the authority if they wished
Masr, an independent media outlet. In

Egypt 157
to travel to Saudi Arabia. According to the REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

EIPR, communications sent by the Ministry of Egyptian security forces, including EU-

the Interior to travel agencies speciûed that funded border guards, carried out mass

women from <lower classes= included arrests of thousands of Sudanese refugees

housewives, unemployed women and those for irregularly entering or staying in Egypt.

in low-skilled jobs. The security forces kept the refugees in

At least four women were arbitrarily squalid detention conditions before forcibly

arrested and prosecuted on vague morality returning them to Sudan without allowing

charges in relation to publishing content on them to access asylum procedures (see

TikTok. Sudan entry). Authorities also continued to

arrest asylum seekers and refugees from

LGBTI people other countries, including Eritrea, over their

The authorities continued to harass and migration status.

prosecute individuals for their actual or In September the government extended by

perceived sexual orientation or gender one year the deadline requiring all foreign

identity. nationals to regularize their status through an

Egyptian sponsor and the payment of USD

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT 1,000.

In its second NDC, issued in June 2023, On 16 December, President al-Sisi ratiûed

Egypt pledged to reduce carbon emissions by Egypt9s ûrst asylum law, which failed to

ensuring that 42% of its electricity would prohibit refoulement, lacked due process

come from renewable energy sources by safeguards and allowed for the arbitrary

2030. However, the government continued to detention of refugees and asylum seekers.

issue new gas exploration licences,

potentially jeopardizing its decarbonization

efforts. 1. <Egypt: Halt crackdown on people voicing concerns over economic

crisis=, 13 May ±

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF 2. <Egypt: Politician detained over social media posts: Yehia Hussein

The right to build or repair churches Abdelhady=, 9 August ±

remained restricted by a 2016 law requiring 3. <Egypt: Three-year prison sentence for anti-torture protester a

approval from security agencies and other 8travesty of justice9=, 27 June ±

state bodies. In October a government 4. <Egypt: Reject draft Criminal Procedure Code=, 2 October ±

spokesperson said that the government had 5. <Egypt: Ensure Alaa Abdel Fattah is not detained after completing

approved the legalization of 3,453 churches length of unjust prison term=, 26 September ±

out of the 5,540 requests that had been 6. <Egypt: New law threatens to reduce access to healthcare for

submitted since the law was enacted. millions=, 30 July ±

In April, security forces failed to protect

Coptic Christian residents in two villages in al-

Minya governorate from sectarian attacks. EL SALVADOR

The attacks followed reports of the

establishment of Christian places of worship Republic of El Salvador

in the two villages, and involved Muslim

residents marching, chanting anti-Christian Poverty increased and the government cut
slogans and damaging the homes of Coptic
spending on health and education. Arbitrary
Christians.
detentions and human rights violations
In July a military court sentenced a Coptic
continued to arise due to the state of
Christian conscript to three years in prison for emergency. There were serious failings in
electronic messages he sent to a Muslim the judicial system. Prison overcrowding
man which were deemed to be <offensive to persisted, with incarceration rates among
Islam=, according to the EIPR. the highest globally. Detention conditions

158 Amnesty International Report

were inhumane, with reports of torture and 3 55,097 more than in 2022 3 with a poverty

other ill-treatment, and the government rate of 30.3%, compared with 26.8% in

failed to act to address the situation. 2019.

Freedom of expression and the public9s

right to information were eroded, and ARBITRARY DETENTION AND UNFAIR

journalists were at risk of harassment and TRIALS

violence. Security forces restricted the Since the state of emergency began in 2022

freedom of movement of protesters up to the end of 2024, according to the

challenging budget cuts, and public sector authorities there had been 83,900

workers were dismissed for participating. detentions. Most detainees had been

Human rights defenders were at increased charged with <illicit associations= and other

risk of attacks and harassment under the gang-related crimes. According to local

state of emergency. human rights organizations, one third of

people detained under the state of

BACKGROUND emergency had no gang afûliations or

The state of emergency that began in March criminal records of any kind, reüecting the

2022 was ongoing. Regional and indiscriminate application of these measures

international human rights mechanisms across the population.

continued to raise concerns over human A special report by the Inter-American

rights violations committed during the state of Commission on Human Rights conûrmed

emergency, as documented by various local that the state of emergency had led to mass
1
and international organizations. arbitrary detentions and systematic human

In February, Nayib Bukele was re-elected rights violations, including the lack of

as president following a controversial effective judicial oversight of these detentions

interpretation of the constitution by the and the imposition of preventive detention

Supreme Court that allowed him to stand without sufûcient evidence. The commission

again despite a prohibition on immediate re- also expressed concern over mass judicial

election. hearings and restrictions on the right to

Recent constitutional reforms raised defence, which severely undermined due

concerns over the restriction of public process and fundamental judicial guarantees.

participation in the reform process, narrowing Civil society organizations continued to

the space for debate and discussion on denounce the inefûcacy of the judicial

matters of public interest. The concentration system, particularly the Supreme Court9s

of power within the ruling party and the failure to process habeas corpus petitions,

absence of institutional checks and balances increasing detainees9 vulnerability. A recent

allowed these reforms to pass without civil study from the Due Process of Law

society consultation, exacerbating the human Foundation, published in May, found that

rights crisis and further weakening the rule of between March 2022 and March 2023 the
2
law. Constitutional Chamber admitted only 1.6%

of habeas corpus petitions ûled in the context

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS of the state of emergency, with favourable

The Legislative Assembly approved the rulings in just 0.4% of cases. According to

government9s 2025 budget proposal that the ûndings of this study, excessive delays

prioritized spending on security and defence, and unnecessary formalities in processing

while key sectors such as health and these petitions effectively amounted to a

education faced signiûcant cuts, impacting denial of justice, further entrenching

the population9s access to these rights, in detainees9 defencelessness.

turn deepening social inequalities. According

to a 2024 World Bank report, extreme poverty INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS

rose between 2019 and 2023. In 2023, more The prison system continued to be critically

than 1.9 million people were living in poverty overcrowded, with an occupancy rate of

El Salvador 159
350%, according to local NGOs, making it Journalists were frequently subjected to

one of the highest incarceration rates social media attacks and digital monitoring.

globally. According to the Inter-American Female journalists were particularly at risk,

Commission on Human Rights, detention facing not only harassment but also digital

conditions were inhumane, with reports of violence and sexual harassment, according to

torture and other ill-treatment, lack of access APES.

to medical services, and excessive use of The Inter-American Press Association and

force by prison guards. the Committee to Protect Journalists raised

Detained women continued to be denied alarms over the escalating repression against

speciûc care to meet their needs, including the independent press. On 20 November

reproductive health services and protection 2022, digital media outlet El Faro ûled a

against gender-based violence by prison lawsuit in a US federal court against NSO

guards. Group, the Israeli company behind the

According to reports from Salvadoran Pegasus spyware, alleging surveillance of

organizations, more than 300 deaths in state more than 20 of its journalists. In July,

custody were recorded between March 2022, technology companies including Google,

when the state of emergency was declared, Microsoft and LinkedIn supported El Faro9s

and 15 December 2024. These deaths were appeal by submitting briefs in favour of the

attributed to torture and other ill-treatment as case.

well as inadequate medical care. In the context of the electoral process, the

Human rights organizations denounced OAS electoral observation mission reported

the state9s failure to effectively address these inequalities and challenges. These were the

conditions, calling for an urgent review of result of a series of legal reforms and

sanitary conditions in prisons and immediate restrictions on fundamental freedoms

measures to ensure access to medical care. imposed by the state of emergency, which

Despite repeated requests for intervention, created an atmosphere of self-censorship

3
the government9s response was inadequate, that hindered open political participation.

with reports of deaths in custody continuing The authorities severely restricted the

throughout the year. Local human rights public9s access to accurate and timely

victims9 movements voiced grave concerns, information, also hindering access to public

prompting heightened scrutiny from information held by the state.

international and regional human rights In October, media sources reported that

mechanisms over the inhumane treatment of security forces had imposed restrictions on

detainees. the free movement of demonstrators, limiting

The lack of state transparency in their rights to peaceful assembly and

investigations and reporting on alleged ill- expression during protests by the public

treatment and medical neglect in speciûc education and healthcare sectors against the

cases was üagged by UN human rights proposed budget cuts in 2025. Local

mechanisms; these requested further organizations documented multiple

information from the Salvadoran government dismissals of public sector employees,

regarding these abuses and the dire primarily those who had actively organized

detention conditions. and participated in the protests. At least 66

dismissals of people who had protested were

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION reported across the education and healthcare

AND ASSEMBLY sectors. Labour unions denounced these

The prolonged state of emergency continued actions as reprisals for participation in

to erode freedom of expression. Attacks on protests. By the end of the year, local media

journalists and media outlets increased by had reported more than 3,000 dismissals in

66% in 2024 compared with 2023, the public sector, many of whom were

according to the Salvadoran Journalists9 believed to have been involved in the

Association (APES). protests. The government presented these

160 Amnesty International Report

dismissals as part of a general budget-cutting endangered her health and whose fetus was

policy affecting various government incompatible with life. Against her explicit

institutions. will, the Salvadoran authorities denied her

timely access to terminate her pregnancy in

4
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS 2013.

The situation for human rights defenders

worsened signiûcantly under the prolonged

state of emergency. A collective of local 1. <El Salvador: The institutionalization of human rights violations

human rights organizations reported a 24.2% after two years of emergency rule=, 27 March ±

increase in attacks on human rights 2. <El Salvador: Constitution 8à la carte9 could deepen human rights

defenders in 2023 compared with 2022. crisis in coming years=, 3 May ±

These attacks, mostly perpetrated by state 3. <El Salvador: Human rights crisis could deepen during Bukele9s

agents, targeted women defenders, second term=, 6 February ±

journalists, and organizations advocating for 4. <El Salvador: IACtHR advances reproductive justice with ruling in

freedom of expression, women9s rights and favor of Beatriz and her family=, 23 December ±

environmental protection. LGBTI and

Indigenous rights defenders were also

subjected to violations. EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Harassment against human rights

defenders included police surveillance, Republic of Equatorial Guinea

threats and arbitrary detentions. Human

rights organizations reported the use of A cybercrime bill raised new concerns over
undercover agents and defamatory social
the right to freedom of expression. Arbitrary
media campaigns against people defending
arrests and detentions of human rights
victims of human rights violations committed defenders continued. The residents of
during the state of emergency. Annobón island were persecuted for
The government continued its attempts to protesting about damage to their lands
silence critical voices by criminalizing and allegedly caused by mining operations. The
repressing human rights defenders, Spanish High Court ordered that an arrest
especially those seeking justice for arbitrarily
warrant be issued for the president9s son
detained individuals, environmental
over abduction and torture charges. Plans to
defenders, and those advocating for land and
increase mass surveillance of citizens
territory rights. intensi ed. û

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS BACKGROUND

Abortion remained prohibited under all In July, Prime Minister Manuela Roka Botey
circumstances. In January, the last woman
and her government resigned at the request
convicted of aggravated homicide after an
of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who
obstetric emergency and part of the global
cited the government9s failure to resolve the
campaign <Las 17 y más= was released after economic crisis. In June, representatives of

serving eight years of a 30-year prison the International Monetary Fund visited to

sentence. According to the Citizens9 Group support the implementation of key policies for

for the Decriminalization of Abortion, seven improving living conditions.

women were facing legal proceedings relating

to obstetric emergencies, although they had

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
not been incarcerated, at the end of the year.
In March, parliament began debating a
On 20 December, the Inter-American Court cybercrime bill that would introduce new

of Human Rights condemned the Salvadoran restrictions on the use of social media, raising

state in the case of Beatriz and others. concerns that these could threaten people9s

Beatriz was a young Salvadoran mother who

experienced a pregnancy that gravely

Equatorial Guinea 161

right to express views opposing ofûcial Ansem prison where he remained in

positions. detention.

On 10 July the Bar Association conûrmed Joaquín Elo Ayeto9s lawyer, Angel Obama

the suspension of human rights lawyer Obiang Eseng, was detained for more than

Gemma Jones for two years for alleged 48 hours when he went to the police station

serious infringements of the institution9s in Malabo to assist his client. On 14 August,

statutes. She had been under initial he was suspended by the Bar Association for

suspension since December 2023, after representing an illegal organization. On 24

posting a video on TikTok calling for an December the Bar Association issued a

independent judiciary. resolution revoking the suspension.

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

On 26 January, human rights activist In July, residents of Annobón, an island of

Anacleto Micha Ndong was arrested by four Equatorial Guinea situated some 500km from
1
men at his home in the capital, Malabo. He the mainland, protested against damage to

was later accused of slander by a police their houses, farmlands and island

ofûcer who, he alleged, had tortured him ecosystem, allegedly due to constant

during a previous detention in the city9s Black dynamite explosions linked to mining

Beach prison in 2023. He was then detained operations. Following the protests, more than

without charge for over a month in the 30 people from Annobón were arrested and

gendarmerie in Malabo. On 1 March, he was detained. Mobile phone and internet services

sent to Black Beach, before being transferred were shut down for several weeks.

in April to Oveng Ansem prison, Mongomo.

In March, during its 99th session, the UN TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention On 22 February, the Criminal Chamber of

adopted an Opinion calling for the immediate Spain9s National High Court ordered that

release of two South African citizens, Peter arrest warrants be issued against Carmelo

Shane Huxham and Frederik Johannes Ovono Obiang, son of the Equatorial Guinean

Potgieter. It found that the two men had been president, and two other high-ranking

arbitrarily detained on drug trafûcking government ofûcials. This related to the

charges since February 2023. alleged abduction, torture and enforced

On 5 July, former justice minister Rubén disappearance in 2019 of four opposition

Maye Nsue Mangue, who had been arbitrarily activists legally resident in Spain, including

arrested in August 2022 after criticizing the two Spanish citizens. One activist, Julio

president on social media, was granted a Obama Mefuman, a dual Spanish and

presidential pardon and released. Equatorial Guinean citizen, died in custody in

On 1 August, human rights defender 2023, having accused authorities of torturing

Joaquín Elo Ayeto was arrested in his house him multiple times.
2
in Malabo, accused of carrying out illegal

activities through the civil society platform MASS SURVEILLANCE

Somos+, which the authorities claimed was Vice-president Teodoro Nguema Obiang

not legally registered. In June 2020, he had Mangue pressed ahead with plans to

applied to the Ministry of Interior and Local strengthen surveillance systems in the

Corporations for legal registration of the country, citing the ongoing need to ûght

platform. He was notiûed that the application criminality. The plans, announced in May,

should be validated by the General included installing and monitoring some

Directorate of Human Rights, although such 6,500 cameras with the capacity for live

validation was not required by the law. He monitoring and facial recognition, linked to

was sent to Black Beach prison on 9 August command centres nationwide. There were

then transferred on 13 August to Oveng concerns that the additional surveillance

could be used to repress dissenting voices.

162 Amnesty International Report

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS sometimes amounting to slavery, was

In May, the government adopted the Djibloho documented (see below right to education).

Declaration, which outlined concrete actions

to address gender disparities and promote REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

women9s empowerment, reafûrming Eritrean refugees faced human rights abuses

Equatorial Guinea9s commitment to in countries to which they üed for safety. The

international instruments protecting women9s government regarded claiming asylum

rights. abroad as evidence of treason, and anyone

In June, a report of the National Institute of forcibly returned to Eritrea could be detained.

Statistics analysing women9s participation in According to UNHCR, the UN refugee

decision-making processes in state agency, returnees also faced torture and

institutions concluded that, in 2023, women sometimes death. In May, the UN Special

occupied just 29.5% of decision-making Rapporteur on the situation of human rights

positions. in Eritrea (Special Rapporteur on Eritrea) said

that the authorities <reached across

borders& to control Eritrean diaspora politics

1. <Equatorial Guinea: Human rights defender9s whereabouts and silence pro-democracy activists,

unknown=, 29 May ± journalists, political opponents and human

2. <Equatorial Guinea: Human rights defender arrested once again=, rights defenders.= Eritrean refugees in

29 August ± Ethiopia were rounded-up, detained and

summarily expelled to Eritrea. Women and

girls in particular suffered violations by the

ERITREA Rapid Support Forces and others in Sudan,

including sexual violence and domestic

State of Eritrea servitude. In August, Türkiye forcibly returned

around 180 Eritreans to Eritrea, in

The use of mandatory inde nite militaryû contravention of their legal rights to
1
service, sometimes amounting to forced protection.

labour and slavery, persisted. Returning

refugees faced human rights abuses. The RIGHT TO EDUCATION

Eritrea had a debt-to-GDP ratio of 211%, one

right to education was violated. The right to

freedom of expression was sti ed and the ü of the highest globally. In 2022, it spent

fate of government critics forcibly 33.4% of the national budget on debt

disappeared in 2001 remained unknown. servicing. This high expenditure on debt

The government continued in its failure to servicing threatened the ûnancing of

implement the UN Commission of Inquiry9s education and other public services. Low

spending on education, according to most

recommendations to investigate crimes
recent reports, appeared to have stagnated at
under international law; and denied access
under 2% since 2020, below the average
to the UN Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in Eritrea. spending levels in Africa of 3% to 4% of GDP.

This was compounded by factors including

FORCED LABOUR corruption and a lack of ûnancial

The decades-long use of mandatory transparency.

According to the UN, 48% of primary

indeûnite military service for those aged
school-age children were out of school, while
between 18 and 40 continued, as well as the
only 4% of males and 3% of females of
forced labour and other gross human rights

violations associated with it. The policy university age were enrolled in tertiary

requires conscripts to complete their ûnal education. There was a shortage of properly

secondary school year at the notorious Sawa trained teachers. Meanwhile, the forced

military training camp, where forced labour, conscription policy that could compel

teachers into military service undermined

Eritrea 163
educational standards and increased the

already high student-to-teacher ratio. Many 1. <Türkiye: Eritreans at imminent risk of forced return=, 6

young people were forced out of education September ±

into military service or exile. There were also 2. <Eritrea: At the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Councils

reports of the conscription of children, states should extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur

effectively denying them their right to on Eritrea and step-up efforts towards accountability in the

education. country=, 19 June ±

According to UNESCO, the high rate of

early and child marriage was a key reason for

many students9 failure to complete their ESWATINI

schooling.

Kingdom of Eswatini

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ENFORCED

DISAPPEARANCES The government failed to investigate

Eritrea continued to be one of the few
extrajudicial killings, including of the
countries without any form of registered,
human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko.
privately owned media. The free press was
Journalists and other government critics
dismantled in 2001, when the government continued to face widespread political
arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15 - repression, including arbitrary arrests and
along with 16 supporting journalists, after detentions. Detainees were subjected to
they demanded that President Afwerki torture and other ill-treatment. The
implement the draft constitution and hold economic crisis deepened, creating
open elections. The fate and whereabouts of
conditions that exacerbated inequality.
11 of the politicians, as well as the 16
Gender-based violence was widespread and
journalists accused of links to the G-15, the rights of LGBTI people were severely
remained unknown. undermined.

RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND BACKGROUND

REPARATION Social unrest increased and there were

The government continued in its failure to
ongoing demands for democratic reforms
implement recommendations of the UN
under the absolute monarchy of King Mswati
Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Eritrea,
III. The government acknowledged the high
established in 2014 by the UN Human levels of poverty and unemployment as a

Rights Council. The COI concluded in 2016 national emergency. Unemployment reached

that crimes under international law had been 35.4% overall and 48.7% among young

committed in Eritrea since 1991, including people.

crimes against humanity and other inhumane

acts. In July the Special Rapporteur on

EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS
Eritrea reiterated that most recommendations
The government failed to conduct
made by international and regional human transparent, independent and impartial

rights mechanisms, including the COI, investigations into extrajudicial killings carried

remained unimplemented. Meanwhile, the out between 2021 and 2024. The lack of a

authorities continued to deny him access to transparent judicial process and the
Eritrea. Also in July, Amnesty International
government9s failure to heed calls for
urged the Human Rights Council to intensify
accountability effectively denied the rights of
its efforts to assess the human rights situation
victims of government violence, or their
in Eritrea and to reüect on ways to collect and family members, to justice, compensation

preserve evidence for future criminal judicial and reparations. Such cases included that of
2
proceedings. Thulani Maseko, who was killed by

164 Amnesty International Report

unidentiûed gunmen in his home in 2023, crisis-level food insecurity by March 2025

amid an escalation in attacks on state critics. according to the Integrated Food

Classiûcation Index. This was driven by the

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION soaring prices of food and other essential

The authorities used the 2008 Suppression of commodities resulting from inüation and

Terrorism Act (STA) to target activists, disruption to imports. Rural and low-income

journalists and pro-democracy advocates. Its urban households were particularly

vaguely worded provisions allowed the vulnerable to food insecurity.

government to justify arbitrary arrests and

detentions of its critics. Right to health

Journalists increasingly faced harassment The government9s austerity measures further

and intimidation, particularly when covering reduced public healthcare spending, leading

human rights abuses and government to a maternal healthcare crisis in rural areas.

corruption. Intimidation could extend to legal Women struggled to access basic services.

threats, as in the case of Swazi journalist The Health Labour Market Analysis Report

Zweli Martin Dlamini, editor of the Swaziland projected that, without urgent government

News newspaper, who had been living in intervention, there would be a shortage of

exile in South Africa for several years. In 26,563 health workers by 2032, which would

February the government ûled a case against further threaten essential services.

him and Swaziland News to the Mpumalanga

High Court in South Africa for articles which it WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

claimed defamed King Mswati III and various High rates of gender-based violence

government ministers and public ofûcials, persisted, with the government failing to

and proved a threat to national security. protect women and girls from, or enforce

laws against, such abuses, leaving

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY perpetrators largely unpunished. A national

On 15 July, MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza NGO, Swatini Action Group Against Abuse,

and Mthandeni Dube were sentenced to 25 said in April that rape continued to be a

and 18 years in prison respectively under the major problem. The number of women and

STA for their involvement in protests in 2021 girls affected remained unknown because

calling for political reform. Their cases most survivors did not report abuse or

became symbolic of the government9s withdrew their testimonies following coercion

crackdown on political dissent. to do so, among other factors.

Discriminatory and weak legal protections

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT for rural women, including those relating to

Detainees, especially those imprisoned for land inheritance, exacerbated the economic

expressing political opinions, were subjected marginalization of rural women in particular

to torture and other ill-treatment in custody. and left them with limited access to land,

Following Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza9s healthcare and education.

sentencing (see above), prison guards at the

Matsapha Correctional Complex denied him LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

food, including food brought to him from The government continued to deny the

outside the prison that he required as part of Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities its

his dietary requirements for hypertension, for right to register as a non-proût organization,

at least four days. despite a 2023 Supreme Court decision

ordering the minister of commerce, industry

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS and trade to reconsider the application.

Right to food

About 22% of the population (almost

270,000 people) were projected to face

Eswatini 165
 suspended ûve prominent human rights

ETHIOPIA organizations. The Center for Advancement

of Rights and Democracy, Lawyers for

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Human Rights and Association for Human

Rights in Ethiopia's (AHRE) were suspended

Authorities suppressed the rights to in November, the Ethiopian Human Rights

freedom of expression and peaceful Council, and the Ethiopian Human Rights

assembly, including by intimidating human Defenders Center the following month. In

rights defenders and others, and blocking December, the AHRE suspension was lifted.

internet access in Amhara region. Activists, Suspensions of this kind demonstrate further

human rights defenders, journalists and crackdown of the civic space amid ongoing

artists were arbitrarily arrested and detained armed conüicts in the country.

and some people üed the country during the Human rights defenders who travelled

imposition of state of emergency laws that abroad to engage with international human

were used to target peaceful dissenters. rights bodies said they were harassed and

Reports of crimes under international law, intimidated by the authorities on their return.

including war crimes, were documented in Some also reported that Ethiopian

ü
the armed con ict in Amhara region; the government ofûcials, including diplomats,

Ethiopian National Defence Force carried intimidated and harassed them in the

out unlawful killings, including extrajudicial countries to which they had travelled.

executions. The prime minister and his The authorities blocked internet access in

government continued to deny such acts Amhara region, lifting the restrictions in July

û
and no signi cant steps towards justice almost one year after they were imposed.

were taken. There was an increase in cases Telephone communication was also

of sexual violence against women and girls; frequently restricted.

ü
incidents of con ict-related sexual violence In August the police banned women9s

continued. rights defenders from carrying out a candlelit

vigil in the capital, Addis Ababa, in honour of

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ASSEMBLY AND Heaven Awot, a victim of sexual violence (see

below, Gender-based violence).

ASSOCIATION

Activists, human rights defenders, journalists

and artists reported increased harassment ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

and intimidation by the authorities. A Authorities arrested hundreds of people

nationwide state of emergency, declared in nationwide under the state of emergency

August 2023 during the outbreak of armed which had granted them excessive powers of

conüict in Amhara region between Fano arrest. They üouted constitutional provisions,

militias and members of the Ethiopian including the requirement to publicize, via

National Defence Force (ENDF), was the State of Emergency Inquiry Board (an

renewed for four months in February. It oversight committee), the names of anyone

expired on 2 June. It granted sweeping arrested and the reasons for their arrest

powers to the security forces and was used within one month. People were repeatedly

by authorities to crack down on dissent and arrested without warrants and detainees were

suppress the media. denied their rights, including legal counsel

During this period, people involved in and access to courts.

peaceful dissent nationwide were arbitrarily In September, Belay Manay, chief editor of

arrested, often without due process (see the online publication Ethio News, üed the

below, Arbitrary arrests and detentions). This country three months after being released

forced scores of human rights defenders and from the notorious Awash Arba military camp

journalists to üee the country. In November where he was held in harsh conditions.

and December, authorities arbitrarily Arrested in November 2023, he was never

brought before a court, nor given access to

166 Amnesty International Report

healthcare or legal representation, and was army9s actions, which included potential war

frequently denied family visits in detention. crimes.

In Amhara region, the federal army and

security forces launched a new mass arrest IMPUNITY

campaign on 28 September. Within four The authorities made no signiûcant efforts to

days, thousands of civilians, including investigate and hold accountable perpetrators

academics, were rounded up without search of crimes under international law, denying

and arrest warrants. Authorities largely failed victims their rights to truth and justice. They

to bring those detained before a court within continued to dismiss crimes documented by

the 48-hour period required by Ethiopian law. human rights bodies, including the killings in

Merawi (see above). Prime Minister Abiy

UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS Ahmed said in a televised speech to

There were continued reports of violations of parliament that the army does not <commit

international humanitarian and human rights massacres=. His speech coincided with the

law in the ongoing armed conüict in Amhara federal government9s implementation of the

region. The extent of such violations, which transitional justice process, which focuses on

included crimes under international law, was reconciliation rather than justice and

likely to be far greater than indicated by the accountability. Nearly two years after

numbers that were publicly documented discussions on the process began, the

during the year. The prolonged restrictions on government9s claims that it would deliver

the internet and telephone communications, justice and accountability remained

coupled with the government9s denial of unrealized. It was largely a paper exercise,

access to the country for human rights marked by signiûcant shortcomings including

organizations, limited the ability to report on the lack of inclusive pre-policy consultation

crimes and other violations. In addition, the processes, non-compliance with key

threat of reprisals for speaking out was likely international accountability guidelines, and

to deter civilians from sharing their disregard for input from a limited number of

testimonies, or human rights defenders and consulted victims and survivors on the draft

journalists from reporting on the issues. policy options on crucial accountability

Unlawful killings, including extrajudicial measures.

executions, of civilians were documented in

the region. Witnesses said that, following GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

armed clashes between the ENDF and FANO There was a surge in reports of sexual

militias in Merawi town on 29 January, ENDF violence against women and girls. The rape

ofûcers rounded up civilian men from their and murder of seven-year-old Heaven Awot,

homes, shops and the streets, and shot and whose body was also mutilated by her

killed scores. Residents said the killings attacker, in the city of Bahir Dar, Amhara

began after Fano ûghters withdrew from region, sparked national outrage and became

Merawi. Eyewitnesses described ûnding the emblematic of the prevalence of sexual

bodies of their loved ones on the street the violence against women and girls nationwide.

following day. Three people said that ENDF In Tigray region, high levels of sexual

soldiers burned 11 three-wheel vehicles, violence, including conüict-related sexual

known as Bajajs, and a motorbike. violence, were documented, leading to

The State of Emergency Inquiry Board protests across the region.

announced in February its intention to A June report by the Center for the

investigate the killings but, despite continued Advancement of Rights and Democracy

alarming reports of human rights violations, revealed that women and girls in the Guji

had communicated no further public updates zone of Oromia region were subjected to

by the end of the year. Neither did the sexual violence perpetrated by government

authorities announce investigations into the forces and members of the Oromo Liberation

Army.

Ethiopia 167
 TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

FIJI In February, a Fijian military ofûcer, Colonel

Ben Naliva, was appointed as a deputy

Republic of Fiji commander in the Australian Defence Force,

but was removed in April after Australian

The government supported a proposal to media reports about allegations of torture

introduce the crime of <ecocide= in the committed by him in Fiji. The Fijian

Rome Statute of the ICC. Policing of government had not investigated reports that

peaceful protests remained restrictive. The he was responsible for the torture of

authorities failed to investigate allegations government opponents after the 2006 coup,

of torture against a Fijian senior military or concerns documented by the UN Special

û
of cer who was appointed as a deputy Rapporteur on torture that he participated in

commander in the Australian Defence the assault of a Fijian businessman in 2011.

Forces. Levels of sexual violence against

women remained high, and LGBTI people GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

were at risk of violence. LGBTI people faced various forms of

violence. Human rights groups criticized the

BACKGROUND police for failing to adequately investigate the

In August, the attorney general launched the murder in April of a 19-year-old transgender

National Mechanism for Implementation, sex worker Setariki Ravato, known as

Reporting and Follow-Up to support Fiji9s <Esther=, who died a few weeks after she was

reporting to UN human rights bodies. kidnapped and assaulted. Despite her

serious injuries, the police initially claimed

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT that she had died of a pre-existing medical

In September, Fiji, together with Samoa and condition. Police investigations were ongoing

Vanuatu, proposed an amendment to the at year9s end. The minister for women,

Rome Statute of the ICC to recognize the children and social protection, Lynda Tabuya,

international crime of <ecocide=. If adopted, it was dismissed in late December after an

would enable the prosecution by the ICC of explicit video of her was leaked online in an

individuals responsible for severe alleged act of technology facilitated gender-

environmental damage. based violence.

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

Provisions under the Public Order Act Six South Korean nationals accused of

requiring permits to convene a meeting in a mistreatment and other abuses of migrants

public park or road remained in place and employed by the Grace Road company

the police continued to take an overly challenged proceedings 3 ûrst initiated in

restrictive approach against protests.

1
In 2023 3 to deport them to South Korea. The

May, at a vigil at the premises of the Fiji leadership of the company, which operates a

Women9s Crisis Center (FWCC) to protest church and owns restaurants and other

against the human rights situation in Gaza businesses in Fiji, faced charges of

and Papua, Indonesia, police intimidated exploitation and physical abuse of its

demonstrators including by photographing employees and supporters in both Fiji and

and videoing participants. In July, police South Korea.

banned demonstrators from carrying either

the Israeli or Palestinian üags at a rally for

justice and <decolonization= of New 1. <Fiji, Joint Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review 48th

Caledonia and Papua. Session of the UPR Working Group=, 18 July ±

168 Amnesty International Report

 impact on the rights of asylum seekers,

FINLAND refugees and migrants.

Claiming to act in response to an alleged

Republic of Finland attempt by Russia to <instrumentalize=

asylum seekers and migrants, the

Cuts to social security and healthcare government kept all crossing points at the

disproportionately affected marginalized Russian border closed. Construction

groups. Legislative amendments weakened continued of a barrier fence at the eastern

protections in immigration and asylum border to prevent migrants crossing into

policies. Police used unnecessary force to Finland in situations of <instrumentalized

disperse a climate protest. Six NGOs took migration=.

the government to court for lack of climate In July, parliament adopted an emergency

action. A new action plan against racism law allowing the government to limit the

failed to include legislative measures reception of asylum applications at the

against hate speech and hate crime. New border, grant border guards additional powers

legislation criminalized forced marriage and to prevent entry, including by force, and deny

female genital mutilation. any genuine possibility of appeal.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

The government continued to impose In June and September, in the capital,

austerity measures in the form of cuts to the Helsinki, police broke up peaceful climate

social security and healthcare systems. protests that disrupted trafûc and arrested

These disproportionately affected people dozens of peaceful protesters after they failed

experiencing unemployment, those with to comply with a dispersal order. In June,

limited capacity to work due to health police used unnecessary physical force

problems, single-parent families, persons against peaceful climate protesters while

with disabilities, older people, and young dispersing a roadblock in Helsinki.

adults. Signiûcant cuts to social security A peaceful protest camp at Helsinki

risked the right to an adequate standard of university campus expressing solidarity with

living for those already on low incomes and Palestinians was dispersed by the police in

increased the need for last resort social June after the university administration

assistance. Cuts to healthcare decreased the decided to ban the camp.

accessibility and affordability of services for Police did not always recognize the role of

those who were dependent on public independent protest observers or

healthcare. acknowledge their responsibility to protect

and facilitate independent monitoring.

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS Police were inconsistent in their

Throughout the year, the government interpretation of which obligations of the

introduced several legislative amendments Assembly Act were considered to be

rolling back existing protections in migration incumbent on the organizers of a

and asylum policies. These included changes demonstration, with requirements varying

to make international protection temporary; from region to region.

prevent asylum seekers from applying for

residence permits on grounds other than RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

asylum, such as a work or a study based In August, Amnesty International and ûve

permit; expand the use of migration other NGOs ûled an appeal to the Supreme

detention, and increase the requirements for Administrative Court regarding the

family reuniûcation and citizenship. The government9s lack of adequate climate

amendments were introduced hastily and action, arguing this risked Finland9s target of
1
there was no assessment of their combined net zero by 2035.

Finland 169
The government signiûcantly reduced its continued with impunity. Excessive

climate funding to lower income countries. restrictions on peaceful protests and

excessive use of force by police persisted.

DISCRIMINATION France continued to supply weapons to

In March, 33 NGOs including Amnesty Israel. Safeguards governing video

International criticized the government for surveillance by law enforcement were

taking numerous measures, including in its û

insuf cient. Discriminatory restrictions in
migration, social and health policies, which relation to immigration, nationality and

deepened structural racism and asylum continued. France became the ûrst
discrimination. The government9s action plan country in the world to explicitly include

to combat racism and promote equality, abortion as a guaranteed freedom in its

published in September, did not include constitution. Survivors of sexual violence

legislative measures to combat racism, hate from marginalized groups, particularly

speech and hate crimes. migrant women, transgender women and

sex workers, faced systemic barriers to ûling
LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS a complaint.

A national citizen9s initiative that proposed

banning conversion practices remained DISCRIMINATION

pending in the Law Committee of the French women athletes at the 2024 Paris

parliament. Olympic and Paralympic Games were

banned from wearing sports hijabs. Similar

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE discriminatory bans continued to apply to

In November, parliament adopted two bills to sports in general at both professional and

criminalize forced marriage and female amateur levels, effectively ruling out the

genital mutilation of girls under 18. participation of Muslim women and girls who

In December, parliament adopted wore head coverings.

legislation to ban mediation in cases of In September the Council of State afûrmed

intimate partner violence and sexual violence, the ban on students wearing the abaya or

aiming to ensure that cases of violence lead qamis, in accordance with the discriminatory

to appropriate criminal sanctions. 2004 law restricting <signs or clothing

showing religious afûliation in public schools,

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS colleges and high schools=.

A bill to reform the Act on the Sámi In December the UN Human Rights

Parliament to enhance protection of the Committee expressed regret that France had

rights of Sámi people was pending at the end failed to reconsider its restrictions on the

of the year in the Constitutional Law wearing of religious symbols and clothing in

Committee of the Parliament. public places, and indeed had extended

them into the domain of sports. It noted the

likely discriminatory impact of such

1. <Finland9s famous climate target under threat 3 NGOs take the measures, especially on Muslim women and

state to court=, 29 August ± girls.

In February, during a visit to the island of

Mayotte, the then interior minister

FRANCE announced plans for a constitutional change

withdrawing the right to French citizenship by

French Republic birth for children born to foreign parents on

the overseas territory. A draft bill to introduce

Systemic racism and religious the change was suspended but not repealed

discrimination persisted, including against by year9s end.

Muslim women and girls. Racial pro ling û Serious concerns were raised by reports of

increased antisemitic, Islamophobic and

170 Amnesty International Report

racist hate crimes. The government9s discriminatory bans on sports hijabs were

approach to tackling racism continued to be subjected to arbitrary identity checks and

undermined by its refusal to address arrests while watching a friend run in the

systemic racism alongside its failure to collect marathon as part of the Paris Olympic

reliable data. The Human Rights Committee Games. Police accused them of participating

again called on the French government to in an unlawful protest as they were displaying

develop policies to combat racial banners that referred to <hijabis=. The

discrimination based on statistics gleaned women were questioned, detained overnight

from more effective data collection tools, and arbitrarily required to remove their hijabs

relying on the principles of self-identiûcation while in custody before being eventually

and anonymity. released without charge.

Other groups also faced excessive

Racial profiling restrictions. In July, climate change protests

Despite concerns and questions raised by were banned by local prefects in Vienne and

expert UN bodies throughout the year, Deux-Sèvres departments. Following a visit to

authorities continued to deny the existence of the Tarn region in February, the UN Special

systemic racism in policing. Meanwhile the Rapporteur for environmental defenders

widespread use of discriminatory identity under the Aarhus Convention expressed

checks persisted. In April, ûve French and concern at policing methods he had

international NGOs complained to the CERD witnessed being used against environmental

Committee that, despite having activists engaging in civil disobedience to

acknowledged the existence of racial proûling protest at the construction of the A69

in 2023, the Council of State had failed to motorway.

compel the government to implement

reforms. EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF

In November the Defender of Rights said FORCE

in an interview that she was <appalled= at the Law enforcement ofûcers were alleged to

government9s failure to make progress have used excessive and deadly force in the

towards eliminating discriminatory identity overseas territory of Kanaky New Caledonia

checks. during unrest, which erupted after parliament

adopted a bill in May changing the territory9s

1
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY voting rules. In August, UN experts

People expressing solidarity with Palestinians expressed concern at the allegations as well

faced excessive and disproportionate as at reports of widespread arbitrary arrests,

restrictions. In response to spontaneous detentions and enforced disappearances.

demonstrations against Israel9s assault on In December the UN Human Rights

Rafah in June, authorities in Paris, Lyon, Committee expressed grave concern at

Alençon and other cities across France reports of excessive use of force during road

enforced pre-emptive protest bans. Peaceful trafûc checks, arrests, forced evacuations

protesters and bystanders were also ûned for and demonstrations. It noted that such cases

<participation in an undeclared or banned disproportionately affected members of

protest=. certain minority groups, in particular people

Scores of human rights defenders, trade of African descent or of Arab origin,

union representatives, politicians, journalists, Indigenous Peoples and migrants.

academics and medical practitioners The committee also pointed to lack of

expressing solidarity with Palestinians were sanctions and apparent impunity for police,

investigated for <apology for terrorism= 3 an noting that no one had yet been found

overly-broad and vaguely deûned offence that responsible for the killing of Adama Traoré, a

threatened free expression. young man of African descent, during a stop-

On 11 August, eight members of the Les and-search operation by police in 2016. In

Hijabeuses campaign collective against May a higher court upheld a 2023 judicial

France 171
decision dismissing prosecutions against the MASS SURVEILLANCE

three gendarmes involved, prompting the In June the National Commission for Human

victim9s family to ûle a second appeal. Rights concluded that there were insufûcient

In November the government put out a safeguards in place to ensure that video

new tender worth EUR 27 million for sting- surveillance by law enforcement was

ball grenades, an inherently dangerous necessary and proportionate.

military-grade weapon used by police and In July the Orléans administrative court

known to have caused serious injuries among declared that the city9s installation of an

protesters. artiûcial intelligence-powered audio

surveillance system linking microphones to

IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS CCTV cameras was a disproportionate

A lack of transparency continued to shroud interference with privacy rights and illegal as

arms transfers, with the government failing in it had no basis in law.

its legal requirement to submit a report on In December the UN Human Rights

the previous year9s transfers by 1 June. Committee expressed concern that the use

France continued to license arms exports by law enforcement of mass video

to Israel despite calls by UN experts for the surveillance technology powered by artiûcial

immediate cessation of such transfers, which intelligence during the Olympic Games was a

were likely to violate international disproportionate interference with the right to

humanitarian law, and despite President privacy.

Emmanuel Macron9s call in October for an A coalition of rights groups brought a

embargo on arms for use in Gaza. complaint before the Council of State in

French-manufactured weapons systems October, calling for the Social Security

supplied to the United Arab Emirates Agency9s National Family Allowance Fund to

continued to be used on the battleûeld in stop using a discriminatory risk-scoring

Sudan, likely in violation of the EU and UN algorithm to detect potentially fraudulent

2
arms embargoes on Darfur. receipt of beneût payments. The algorithm

discriminated against low-income

IMPUNITY households, people living in disadvantaged

In June the Paris Court of Appeal upheld the neighbourhoods, those spending a signiûcant

validity of an arrest warrant issued in 2023 portion of income on rent, and working

against the then-Syrian president Bashar al- people in receipt of a disability allowance.

Assad for chemical attacks against civilians in

Eastern Ghouta and Douma. In July, however, REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

the French public prosecutor subsequently In January the Constitutional Council

challenged this decision before the Court of removed many measures from the

Cassation. discriminatory, xenophobic Immigration

Following the ICC9s decision to issue arrest Control and Integration Act of November

warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 2023. However, the ûnal version retained

Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav provisions including increased administrative

Gallant, as well as senior Hamas leader powers to detain and expel foreign nationals

Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, in deemed a <threat to public order= regardless

3
connection with alleged war crimes and of their link to France. In December the UN

crimes against humanity, France initially Human Rights Committee expressed concern

signalled that it would fulûl its obligations to that the law weakened procedural safeguards

make arrests should any of the men visit the for asylum seekers, including safeguards

country. However, the Ministry of Foreign against the risk of expulsion when appeals

Affairs later claimed that the Israeli ministers were pending.

had immunity as Israel was not a member of Ten decrees linked to the Immigration

the ICC. Control and Integration Law were issued in

July. One made the issuing of residency

172 Amnesty International Report

documents for foreign nationals conditional had examined the human rights impact of

upon <respect for Republican values=, an the so-called <Nordic model= 3 a legal

overly broad condition that risked arbitrary framework adopted by France in 2016

and discriminatory interpretation. making it illegal to buy sex and criminalizing

4
The demonizing, xenophobic rhetoric that organizational aspects of sex work.

marred debates over this legislation

continued to be encouraged by many GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

politicians. In September the interior minister Migrant women, sex workers and transgender

promised increased powers for local and women faced systemic barriers when trying

regional authorities to deport irregular to ûle complaints of sexual violence. Barriers

migrants and prevent them from regularizing included denial of their right to register a

their status. He also renewed calls to further complaint and threats of expulsion, as well as

restrict their access to state medical aid. being subjected to prejudiced attitudes and

French and British authorities continued to stereotyped assumptions from law

5
neglect their human rights responsibilities as enforcement ofûcials.

2024 became the deadliest year on record

for migrants attempting to cross the English RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Channel irregularly by boat. More than 70 According to ûgures for January to

people died trying to reach the UK from September, France slowed its progress in

France. In October the French interior reducing fossil fuel emissions, compared to

minister noted that deaths during crossings 2023. Expansion of the renewable energy

were <harmful consequences= of <efûcient= sector remained insufûcient to meet long-

law enforcement. term targets, with gaps in both policy and

France continued to issue expulsion orders implementation. Climate and the

to, and detain citizens from, countries environment were deprioritized, with delays

including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Syria and in the adoption of energy and adaptation

Sudan, where a forced return would amount policies.

to refoulement. In July the National Asylum In June the Paris Court of Appeal deemed

Court recognized Afghan women as a social two separate cases against energy companies

group warranting refugee protection on the to be admissible. The cases were brought

grounds of their gender. However, France under the Duty of Vigilance law which

made no progress towards ensuring access requires companies to set out how they will

to visas for Afghan women in Afghanistan, prevent human rights abuses and

Pakistan or Iran. As a result, there continued environmental damage arising from their

to be almost no regular and safe pathways for activities.

them to ûnd sanctuary in France.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 1. <Kanaky New Caledonia: French authorities must uphold rights of

In March, France became the ûrst country in the Indigenous Kanak people amid unrest=, 17 May ±

the world to explicitly include abortion as a 2. <Sudan: French-manufactured weapons system identified in

guaranteed freedom in its constitution. conflict 3 new investigation=, 14 November ±

However, this precedent-setting legislative 3. <Asylum and immigration" law: France's historic setback=, 25

development failed to guarantee the right to January (French only) ±

abortion for all who could become pregnant 4. <Europe: Failure to recognise harm caused by criminalization of

including transgender men and non-binary sex work is a 8missed opportunity9=, 25 July ±

people. 5. <Sexual violence: The ordeal of migrant, transgender and sex

In July the European Court of Human worker women who file complaints in France=, 17 September

Rights ruled against sex workers seeking (French only) ±

redress for the infringement of their rights

resulting from the criminalization of their

work. In MA and others v. France, the court

France 173
 Hospital in the Central River Division

GAMBIA announced that 146 pregnant women died

between 2016 and 2020 due to health

Republic of the Gambia complications linked to their pregnancies.

The World Economic Forum9s Global

Parliament maintained a ban on female Gender Gap 2024 report revealed slow

genital mutilation, but the practice was still progress towards gender parity in the

û
prevalent. Child traf cking for sexual country. Gambia rose to 110th place out of

exploitation and children working in the 146 countries, compared to 119th the year

streets remained a concern. Rights to before. However, gender parity in education,

freedom of expression and peaceful political participation and health remained

assembly continued to be severely poor. In November the president expressed

restricted. More than a quarter of the his government9s commitment to gender

population were food insecure. Progress was equality while introducing Gambia9s National

made on accountability for crimes 10-Year Gender Policy (2025-2034).

committed under former president Yahya

Jammeh. CHILDREN9S RIGHTS

In January the minister of gender, children

BACKGROUND and social welfare reiterated the

In August the government published a draft government9s commitment to promoting

of a new constitution, amid criticism for lack children9s rights and announced the second

of transparency and consultation. In phase of the Project to Support the Protection

December the draft was tabled at the of Children Victims of Rights Violations, which

National Assembly. includes a plan to support children with

Migrants at sea continued to die in large disabilities and strengthen regional child

numbers. In the ûrst ûve months of the year, protection mechanisms. However, children

nearly 5,000 migrants 3 including Gambians working in the streets continued to face the

3 died while trying to reach the Canary risk of abuse and were deprived of education.

Islands. In September the director of Samaritana

Gambia, an NGO working with victims of

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS human trafûcking, also warned of a

The Sexual Offences Act continued to resurgence in child trafûcking for sexual

exclude marital rape as an offence, despite exploitation in the country.

calls by human rights activists to criminalize

it. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, INFORMATION

In March a bill was tabled in the AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

parliament to overturn the ban on female According to the Reporters Without Borders

1
genital mutilation. On 15 July, parliament World Press Freedom index, Gambia dropped

rejected the bill after efforts by activists and to 10th place in Africa, compared to ûfth the

survivors to highlight the negative health year before, and from 46th to 58th

2 worldwide. Draconian media laws restricting

consequences of the practice. UNICEF

reported that an estimated 73% of Gambian the right to freedom of expression 3 such as

girls and women between the ages of 15 and the law on sedition 3 remained in force.

49 had been subjected to female genital In March the Gambia Press Union

mutilation. expressed concerns about the CyberCrime

Maternal mortality remained high, with 289 Bill 2023 3 which at year9s end was pending

deaths per 100,000 live births, according to at the National Assembly 3 due to vague

the latest statistics in 2019-2020 from the sections that could lead to abuses and

Demographic and Health Surveys Program. restrictions to the right to freedom of

In February the board of Bansang General expression online. In April the government

174 Amnesty International Report

established the Access to Information Agriculture Organization and created a

Commission and in September the Technical Working Group to facilitate

commissioners were sworn in. communication between agencies to address

In April, eight activists were arrested and the issue.

detained for seven hours and subsequently

charged with <common nuisance=, <unlawful RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

assembly= and <disobeying lawful order= REPARATION

after they planned a sit-down protest against There was progress towards accountability for

the disruption of ferry services and alleged crimes committed under former president

corruption. Yahya Jammeh.

In September, two journalists of the In April the National Assembly passed the

newspaper The Voice were charged with false Special Accountability Mechanism Truth

publication and broadcasting after the Reconciliation and Reparation Commission

newspaper published an article alleging that (TRRC) Bill and the Special Prosecutor9s

the president had picked his successor for Ofûce Bill, establishing the ofûce of the

the next presidential elections. In November special prosecutor. Both bills laid the

the president dropped the civil suit he had groundwork for the prosecution of cases of

ûled against one of the journalists and The serious human rights violations identiûed in

Voice for defamation. In December the the TRRC Report. On 15 December the

criminal case was withdrawn. Authority of Heads of State and Government

Human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was of ECOWAS approved the statute of the

still facing criminal charges at the end of the <Special Tribunal for The Gambia=, a hybrid

year, including <false publication and court with Gambian and international

broadcasting= for 2023 Facebook posts personnel, and a mandate to prosecute

criticizing the government. crimes against humanity, torture and other

serious crimes committed during the

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Jammeh regime. In May the Federal Criminal

A shortage of affordable housing affected Court in Switzerland sentenced Ousman

mainly vulnerable people. In July the minister Sonko, former minister of interior, to 20 years

for lands, regional government and religious in prison for crimes against humanity.

affairs announced plans to build 10,000 In August the ECOWAS Court of Justice

affordable homes by December 2025, and issued a ruling requiring the Ghanaian

200,000 in the next 10 years to address the government to release critical information

crisis. relating to the torture and killing of West

Activists and parliamentarians expressed African nationals in Gambia in 2005.

concerns over the increasing impact of Kush, The Gambia Center for Victims of Human

a cheap synthetic drug, on the health of Rights Violations expressed frustration at the

young people and the need for government lack of forensic experts to identify the bodies

intervention. exhumed in 2019 of the victims of the 11

Food security continued to be a concern. November 1994 coup, among other victims.

According to the 2023 National Food Security In August a former general and alleged

Survey Report, 29% of people in Gambia member of the <junglers=, a paramilitary unit

were food insecure in 2023, a 3% increase suspected of extrajudicial killings under

from 2022. In addition, illegal, unreported Yahya Jammeh9s government, was arrested.

and unregulated ûshing by foreign trawlers

affected the livelihoods of local ûshermen

and resulted in a shortage of ûsh for local 1. <Gambia: Parliament must not lift the ban against female genital

consumption. In March, eight industrial mutilation=, 15 March ±

trawlers were apprehended for violating 2. <Gambia: Continued ban on FGM is good news but authorities

ûsheries laws. In August the government held must urgently address its root causes=, 15 July ±
a workshop with the UN Food and

Gambia 175
 association and privacy, and the principles of

GEORGIA proportionality and non-discrimination.

On 9 October, the Constitutional Court

Georgia accepted a submission to review the law but

refused to suspend it pending its decision.

The ruling party continued to usurp power

and suppress dissent. New legislative FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

amendments expanded state and police Dissenting voices, including opponents of the

powers while unduly restricting peaceful Transparency of Foreign Inüuence law and

protests and undermining civil society. pro-EU protesters, faced harassment, smear

Police repeatedly used unlawful force to campaigns and violence. Over a dozen

disperse peaceful protesters, arresting and activists, many of whom participated in

ill-treating hundreds. Parliament adopted protests, were violently attacked, ambushed

new discriminatory legislation. Reports of and injured by unidentiûed assailants, often

civilians subjected to inhumane detention resulting in serious injuries requiring

conditions in the breakaway territories hospitalization. Some of these assaults

persisted. appeared to be coordinated, condoned and

encouraged or instigated by authorities.

BACKGROUND On 11 June, activist Zuka Berdzenishvili

Against a background of intense public was severely beaten near his home hours

protests, the ruling Georgian Dream party after the parliamentary speaker publicly

pushed through a number of legislative accused him of participating in a politically

initiatives that restricted human rights and motivated campaign against the ruling party.

undermined both civil society and the By the end of the year none of these

independence of the judiciary and state incidents had been effectively investigated.

institutions. This led the EU in May to Legislation adopted in December enabled

suspend Georgia9s accession process. the government to restructure public

Georgian Dream9s victory in the October institutions and dismiss public servants for

parliamentary elections 3 accompanied by arbitrary and political motives. By year9s end,

widespread reports of voter fraud and over 100 public servants who had publicly

intimidation 3 was widely disputed and expressed solidarity with the protests were

provoked ongoing protests and international reportedly arbitrarily dismissed from their

criticism. Further protests erupted in jobs.

November and December after the

government announced that it in turn would FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

suspend EU membership negotiations. Protests were widespread, particularly against

the Transparency of Foreign Inüuence Bill in

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION April and May, the disputed election results

In May, parliament enacted the Transparency in October and the suspension of the EU

of Foreign Inüuence law, which obliged accession process in November.

organizations receiving over 20% foreign Police used unlawful force to disperse

funding to declare themselves as agents of largely peaceful protesters, including

foreign inüuence, and comply with onerous targeting them with chemical irritants and

and intrusive reporting and oversight water cannons, at close range and without

requirements. The law was then used to warning, beating, injuring and detaining
1
stigmatize and discredit organizations critical hundreds.

of the government. It was deemed by the Police also pursued protesters outside of

Council of Europe9s Venice Commission to demonstrations, conducting searches and

violate the rights to freedom of expression, arrests in their homes and ofûces. During the

November-December protests alone, some

500 protesters were reportedly detained.

176 Amnesty International Report

Police also targeted journalists covering the On 14 May, police ofûcers ûlmed

crackdowns. During the November- themselves beating and throttling peaceful

December protests, over 50 journalists were protester Davit Katsarava. He was

reportedly injured and subjected to degrading hospitalized with severe concussion and

and humiliating treatment as well as having facial bone fractures. On 24 July, Davit

their equipment destroyed by the police and Katsarava was ûned 2,000 Lari (US$720) for

being otherwise prevented from carrying out allegedly disobeying the police. An

their professional activities. investigation into his torture allegations,

On 3 May a group of plain-clothes men however, had produced no results by year9s

drove into a crowd of protesters in the capital, end.

Tbilisi, then surrounded and assaulted some

of the demonstrators. On several occasions in UNFAIR TRIALS

December, protesters and journalists were In hundreds of unfair hearings that followed

threatened and assaulted by groups of the April-May and November-December

unidentiûed masked individuals while police protests, courts imposed administrative

stood by. None of these incidents was penalties on anti-government protesters for

effectively investigated and no police ofûcers alleged offences including petty hooliganism

or masked persons committing violence were and disobeying the police.

identiûed or held accountable. More than 50 protesters were prosecuted

New legislation effective from 30 on bogus protest-related charges, including

December imposed further arbitrary for alleged obstruction of strategic facilities,

restrictions on the rights to freedom of group violence, criminal damage and

expression and peaceful assembly, disrupting public order. Some reported being

introducing hefty ûnes for putting up protest coerced into signing forced confessions,

slogans or posters, wearing face coverings without legal representation. Most of the trials

and allowing minors to take part in protests. It were pending at year9s end.

also granted police the power to detain Omar Okribashvili and Saba Meparishvili

individuals <preventatively= for up to 48 were arrested on 14 May for damaging

hours, on suspicion of potentially committing temporary police-installed barriers, and

an offence. charged with crimes punishable by three to

six years9 imprisonment.

TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

During the April-May protests, over 100 RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

people reported ill-treatment, including In August, a court granted injunctions against

physical and verbal abuse, by law demonstrations begun in March by residents

enforcement ofûcers during arrest and in of Shukruti in the Chiatura region. The

detention. Reports of torture and other ill- residents accused a mining company of

treatment were especially widespread during damaging their homes and farmland through

the November-December protests, with more manganese extraction and failing to provide

than 300 protesters 3 the majority of those them with adequate compensation. By

detained 3 alleging mistreatment and more September, several demonstrators had

than 80 people said to have been relocated to Tbilisi, staging hunger strikes
2
hospitalized with serious injuries. outside parliament, demanding government

Detained protesters were as a rule taken to intervention and an independent damage

undisclosed locations, including outside assessment. The negotiations between the

Tbilisi, denied contact with family and protesters and the company, mediated by the

lawyers and detained for 24 to 48 hours government, yielded no meaningful outcome.

without a reasonable justiûcation as required

by national law. In several instances, the LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

injured detainees were denied medical On 17 September, parliament approved a law

treatment and emergency surgery. on <family values and the protection of

Georgia 177
minors=, which contained numerous crackdown continued on expressions of

homophobic and transphobic measures. solidarity with Palestinians. Legislation

These included a ban on sharing information passed in October disproportionately

or holding public gatherings that were û

reduced bene ts for asylum seekers and

deemed to promote same-sex relationships. extended biometric surveillance and police

The following day, a well-known trans woman checks, without a reasonable suspicion

was killed in her home. LGBTI rights standard, increasing the risk of racial
campaigners raised concerns that the new û
pro ling.

law, and the government rhetoric that

preceded it, fueled homophobic and DISCRIMINATION

transphobic crime. In January, journalists exposed racist plans

for mass expulsions, framed as <remigration=,

ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH drawn up by far-right politicians, business

OSSETIA/TSKHINVALI REGION people and other actors.

Right to life In March, Germany appointed its ûrst ever

federal police commissioner to handle

On 9 April, the European Court of Human
complaints of discrimination and other
Rights found that Russia had been in
violations by federal police forces. However,
violation of several human rights, including
an overall lack of effective independent
the right to life, while setting up and policing
complaints mechanisms and lack of
the boundaries of the breakaway territories of
mandatory identiûcation badges for police at
South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It ruled that the
federal and state levels continued to hamper
border incidents were <sufûciently numerous
investigations into allegations of abuses.
and interconnected= to conclude that Russia
Racist and anti-migrant rhetoric continued
was allowing systematic violations to take
throughout the year, especially after stabbing
place.
attacks in the cities of Mannheim and

Solingen in May and August, which were

Inhumane detention conditions
allegedly carried out by perpetrators from
Throughout the year, civilians were reportedly
Afghanistan and Syria respectively.
subjected to detention in the South Ossetia
Such harmful rhetoric inüuenced
region, in harsh conditions, with limited
legislation. In October, parliament adopted a
access to legal representation or medical
new <security package= of regulations, which
care.
conüated criminality with race, ethnicity and

nationality. It disproportionately reduced

beneûts for asylum seekers and extended

1. <Georgia: authorities must stop using unlawful force against
biometric surveillance and police checks,
peaceful protesters and ensure accountability=, 3 May ±
without a reasonable suspicion standard,
2. <Georgia: Police committing shocking human rights violations
increasing the risk of racial proûling.
amid ongoing crackdown on protesters=, 13 December ±
Serious concerns were raised by reports of

increased antisemitic, Islamophobic and

racist hate crimes, as well as hate crimes

GERMANY against LGBTI people and other minoritized

groups.
Federal Republic of Germany

LGBTI people
Germany deported 28 individuals to
In April, parliament passed a Self-
Afghanistan in violation of the principle of
Determination Act enabling transgender, non-
non-refoulement. Reports persisted of
binary and intersex people to obtain legal
excessive use of force by police during
gender recognition by making a simple
peaceful protests by climate activists and
declaration at the registry ofûce. Coming into
supporters of Palestinians9 rights. A
force in November, the new law replaced the

178 Amnesty International Report

Transsexuals9 Act of 1980, which had obliged On 26 April, in Berlin9s government

transgender people to undergo discriminatory district, police banned a protest camp against

psychological assessments and a court arms transfers to Israel, citing <danger to

procedure to obtain legal gender recognition. public security= without sufûcient reason,

Despite the progress made, rights groups and then reportedly used excessive force to

complained that the new law had been disperse it.

inüuenced by trans-hostile narratives 3 for

example, in a provision allowing private FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

contractors to deny access to single-gender Authorities continued their attempts to

venues at their discretion 3 and did not focus criminalize the slogan <from the river to the

adequately on the protection of transgender, sea=, which was banned in 2023 because it

non-binary and intersex people. was deemed <a symbol of Hamas=. In June,

a Berlin District Court convicted an activist

Gender-based violence under section 140 of the Criminal Code for

In November the Federal Criminal Police having used the slogan during a protest in

Ofûce reported a rise in gender-based crimes October 2023. In November, the Berlin

against women in 2023. Increases were Regional Court convicted a woman under

noted in misogynistic hate crimes (+56.3%), section 86 of the Criminal Code for having

online violence (+25.0%), human trafûcking posted the slogan on social media, thereby

(+6.9%), sexual violence (+6.2%) and stipulating that the slogan <constitutes the

domestic violence (+5.6%); 16.5% more use of a sign of a terrorist organization=.

women were killed by their partners or ex- In May the Federal Ministry of Education

partners compared to the preceding year. started an internal assessment as to whether

academics could be denied state funding for

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY publicly opposing the forcible eviction of

On 21 May the Public Prosecutor9s Ofûce in students protesting in solidarity with

Neuruppin brought charges under section Palestinians at Freie University.

129 of the Criminal Code against ûve On 7 November, parliament adopted a

members of the Last Generation climate resolution which established that the working

campaign group, accusing them of <forming deûnition on antisemitism of the International

a criminal organization=. This further Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)

criminalized the climate movement. should be used by all legislators to address

Reports surfaced throughout the year any perceived deûcits with regard to tackling

concerning excessive use of force 3 including antisemitism. The deûnition would form a

pain compliance holds 3 in the policing of benchmark against which various laws, such

peaceful protests by climate activists and as criminal and asylum laws, should be

supporters of Palestinians9 rights. In reviewed and state funding allocated.

September, during a peaceful Palestinian Civil society groups and prominent legal

solidarity protest, a young man was knocked scholars found the IHRA deûnition to be

unconscious by police. Civil society incompatible with international standards on

organizations expressed concern at the role freedom of expression. The resolution thus

of racism, including anti-Arab and anti- created legal uncertainty and raised fears of

Palestinian racism, in the authorities9 violations of freedom of expression, academic

response to Palestinian solidarity protests. freedom and artistic freedom.

On 12 April, Berlin police banned and then

dissolved the so-called <Palestine Congress= REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

shortly after it had begun. Several invited In January, parliament passed the

speakers were banned from entering the Repatriation Improvement Act, which

country or from taking part in public expanded authorities9 powers of entry to

activities. premises, search and detention, and further

Germany 179
increased the risk of unlawful detention for SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

asylum seekers in Germany. In April an expert government-appointed

In June the government announced plans commission on <reproductive self-

to resume deportations to Afghanistan and determination and reproductive medicine=

Syria. In August, Germany deported 28 presented proposals to decriminalize and

individuals to Afghanistan, violating the regulate abortion. In April, the preliminary

principle of non-refoulement. ûndings of a multi-year research project on

Schengen border controls were <experiences and life situations of

implemented from 16 September without a unintentionally pregnant women= underlined

requirement for reasonable suspicion as the need to bring regulations in line with

grounds for police checks, thereby international human rights standards and the

heightening the risk of racial proûling and the WHO guidelines on safe abortion care. In

denial of access to asylum and automatic December, parliamentarians introduced a

detention. draft law to partially legalize abortions, but at

In October, as part of its <security year9s end abortion remained criminalized.

package= legislation, parliament introduced In November a law came into force to

new regulations excluding from beneûts protect pregnant people from harassment

those asylum seekers whose applications outside abortion clinics and mandatory

were being processed in another EU member counselling centres. The law prohibited

state under the Dublin III Regulation. These actions such as deliberate obstruction of

individuals were granted only two weeks of access to facilities, pressurizing a pregnant

interim assistance, with exceptions only in person, or confronting them with untrue or

rare cases. disturbing material.

The humanitarian admission programme

for Afghanistan 3 designed in October 2022 RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

to admit 1,000 individuals per month 3 was On 16 May the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher

ended prematurely by the government. A Administrative Court ruled that the federal

total of only 1,093 nationals had been government was in breach of the Climate

transferred to Germany by the end of 2024. Protection Act because its climate protection

Around 2,000 Afghans admitted to the plans in various sectors were deemed

programme remained in Afghanistan or insufûcient to meet legally binding emission

Pakistan awaiting transfer to Germany. reduction targets stipulated by the law.

On 9 December, the German asylum On 17 July an amended Climate Protection

authority suspended asylum applications for Act entered into force, eliminating the basis

Syrians, plunging nearly 50,000 Syrian of the court9s ruling. Overall emission

asylum seekers into more precarious reduction targets remained unchanged.

circumstances. These included mandatory However, the amended act removed binding

residence in reception centres, work reduction targets for individual sectors, as

prohibitions, limited access to healthcare well as the requirement to present

services and a ban on applying for family emergency measures if such targets were

reuniûcation. missed.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS

Revelations from a parliamentary inquiry and In June, UN Special Experts called on states

a series of reports by investigative journalists to end all transfers of military equipment to

revealed that police had used facial Israel to avoid the risk of responsibility for

recognition technology in at least six federal human rights violations. While the number of

states without sufûcient legal basis to do so. licences granted for such transfers from

Germany to Israel reduced, some continued.

Germany also licensed transfers to Saudi

Arabia of arms and military equipment,

180 Amnesty International Report

despite a lack of accountability for serious Association called on all politicians to

violations of international human rights and condemn attacks on journalists after another

humanitarian law in relation to the Yemen journalist was physically assaulted by

conüict. supporters of the ruling party in the city of

Tamale while covering political events.

In July a planned protest in the capital city,

GHANA Accra, to demand government action on the

cost-of-living crisis was banned at the request

Republic of Ghana of the police, who cited lack of personnel

available to provide security. In September

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly over 50 people were arrested during protests

was restricted. Women9s and girls9 rights in Accra against allegations of corruption

û
continued to be threatened. An af rmative linked to illegal mining. They were all

action bill to promote gender equality was subsequently released but, at the end of the

ûnally enacted. An anti-LGBTI bill was year, 31 were still facing various charges

passed in parliament but faced legal including unlawful assembly, causing

challenges delaying its enactment. unlawful damage and <offensive conduct

Important progress was made in ûghting conducive to breaches of peace=.

malaria. Illegal mining had a negative

impact on the environment and on the WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

livelihoods of cocoa farmers. Women9s and girls9 rights continued to be

threatened. In April, activists condemned the

BACKGROUND marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a priest. The

In January, six people, including three girl was put under police protection but no

soldiers, were sentenced to death for an arrests were made.

attempted coup in 2021. The constitution still Also in April, the Commission on Human

allowed the death penalty for high treason. Rights and Administrative Justice organized a

Consumer inüation, having fallen well dialogue with 25 stakeholders, including

below the hyperinüation seen in 2023, was governmental ofûcials, which called for the

still high, at 23.8% in December. In October, president to sign into law a bill criminalizing

international bond-holders agreed to reduce accusations of witchcraft; the bill had been

Ghana9s USD 13 billion debt by 37%. There passed by parliament in 2023. Hundreds of

were frequent power cuts due to a gas accused women in the northern and north-

shortage. east regions remained in <witch camps= they

John Dramani Mahama won the had üed to after being rejected from their

presidential elections held in December. communities.

The Afûrmative Action (Gender Equality)

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY Bill to increase the participation of women in

Ghana improved its ranking in the 2024 public life was passed in parliament in July

World Press Freedom Index published by and signed into law by the president in

Reporters without Borders, ranking 50th out September. The new law aimed to increase

of 180 countries surveyed, up 12 places from women9s participation to 30% by 2026 and

2023. However, high levels of intimidation 50% by 2030.

and violence against journalists continued.

In January a journalist was physically LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

assaulted by a ruling party member of LGBTI people9s rights were further

parliament and his supporters during the undermined. In February, parliament passed

party9s parliamentary primaries in Yendi, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values

ahead of the general elections due in Bill, which further criminalized LGTBI people

December. In May the Ghana Journalists and introduced prison sentences for anyone

advocating for LGBTI rights. In March the

Ghana 181
president stated that he would await a The price of cocoa continued to soar

decision by the Supreme Court on the legal because of falling harvests from land that

challenges to the bill before deciding whether cocoa producers claimed had been

to sign it. In December The Supreme Court destroyed by illegal small-scale mining 3

dismissed the two legal challenges to the bill known as galamsey 3 as well as climate

stating that it could not review it since it was change. In March alone, prices increased by

not yet an act. By the end of the year, the at least 60%. In addition, Ghana9s cocoa

president had not signed the bill into law. industry regulator reported that 500,000

In July, rejecting a constitutional challenge hectares were infected with cacao swollen

over breaches of the right to privacy, the shoot disease, which may have been

Supreme Court upheld section 104 of the exacerbated by deforestation and climate

Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29), including the change.

criminalization of <unnatural carnal In April, in recognition of the damage

knowledge=. This was interpreted to include caused to livelihoods, the government

consensual same-sex sexual relations. announced a 50% rise in the price paid to

cocoa farmers. However, the farmers

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS protested that the rise was insufûcient given

Food prices continued to be high, threatening the price of cocoa on the international

the right to food and health. In July a BBC market.

news report suggested that young people In October, activists denounced the effects

were budgeting by eating less protein and of illegal mining on rivers after a report

fewer meals. Food inüation peaked at 29.6% published by Ghana Water Company found

in March. that 60% of watercourses were too polluted

There was progress in ûghting malaria. In to be treated. The activists called on the

April the World Health Organization reported government to suspend mining contracts and

that over 700,000 children in seven regions do more to stop illegal mining.

had been vaccinated as of September 2023, Used textiles from the fast fashion industry

and that the prevalence of malaria in children continued to come into the country from

less than ûve years old had gone from 20.6% abroad and ûnd their way into second-hand

in 2016 to 8.6% in 2023. The WHO also markets, such Kantamanto in Accra, before

reported that in-patient malaria deaths had being dumped due to poor quality. Large

dropped from 428 in 2018 to 155 in 2022. volumes continued to wash up on beaches

In September, UNICEF reported that and to pollute rivers, lagoons and the sea.

Ghana had administered 1 million doses of

malaria vaccine since 2019, signiûcantly

reducing cases of severe malaria, and GREECE

announced the expansion of the vaccine roll-

out to a further 125 districts between 2025 Hellenic Republic

and 2029.

An appeals court upheld a guilty verdict

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT against two men for the death of LGBTI
Illegal mining and illegal logging had activist Zak Kostopoulos. Reports of abuses
disastrous environmental impacts. against migrants and refugees at borders
According to data updated in 2024 by the continued, and asylum seekers in the
online platform Global Forest Watch, Ghana Samos reception centre were held in
lost 1.64 million hectares of tree cover from conditions of unlawful detention. Human
2001 to 2023, a 24% decrease compared to rights defenders continued to face
2000. The platform recorded 5,170 criminalization for their work with refugees
deforestation alerts in a single week in and migrants. Allegations of unnecessary
October. and excessive use of force in the policing of

182 Amnesty International Report

demonstrations persisted. Concerns were over 600 people died 3 was ûnally

raised over an investigation which found no completed. Survivors had claimed that the

links between the unlawful use of spyware Greek coastguard was responsible for the

and state ministries or agencies. In a incident. NGOs representing survivors and

milestone step, Greece legalized same-sex victims9 families criticized the prosecution9s

marriage. Health workers continued to failure to summon to provide written

û
report ongoing and signi cant gaps in explanations those authorities responsible for

Greece9s national health system. coordinating the search and rescue operation

and their superiors. In May, in separate

RIGHT TO LIFE proceedings which raised fair trial concerns,

In July an appeals court in the capital, nine survivors were acquitted of charges,

Athens, upheld the guilty verdict on two men including causing the shipwreck.

for lethal bodily harm in relation to the death Asylum seekers living in the EU-funded

of LGBTI activist Zak Kostopoulos in Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) on

September 2018. the island of Samos, mostly racialized

In August a prosecutor in Chania charged individuals, were routinely subjected to

four police ofûcers with intentional homicide <restrictions of freedom= amounting to

with possible malice in relation to the case of unlawful detention. There were also

Kostas Manioudakis, who died during a stop- shortcomings in the provision of basic

and-search operation in the village of Vryses services in the CCAC, including running

in Crete in September 2023. water and healthcare. Those deprived of their

In September migrant worker Kamran liberty may have experienced inhuman and

Ashiq died in police custody. Pictures of his degrading detention conditions, especially
1
body published in the media showed injuries during times of overcrowding.

indicating he had been beaten. In December, Similar concerns relating to other CCACs

the national police complaints mechanism were made public by the Council of Europe9s

announced that it had started its own anti-torture committee (CPT) in July,

investigation into the case. following their 2023 visit.

The system of containment implemented

REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS on Samos and other CCACs

Deadly shipwrecks continued, as did reports disproportionately affected racialized people

of human rights violations, including and furthered the racialized exclusion of

summary unlawful returns by Greek law migrants and refugees.

enforcement ofûcers, against racialized In October the Court of Justice of the EU

asylum seekers and migrants at borders. ruled on a case concerning the readmissions

In January, ruling in a case from 2014 3 in of asylum seekers from Greece to Türkiye

which the coastguard ûred shots towards a under the 2014 EU-Türkiye readmission

boat during an interception at sea, hitting a agreement, which Türkiye had suspended

Syrian man who later died 3 the European since March 2020. The court found that if

Court of Human Rights found Greece in the country of return did not ensure

violation of the right to life, both regarding the readmission, asylum applications could not

investigation of the incident and the use of be rejected as inadmissible under the <safe

lethal force. third country= rule.

Despite the ruling, ofûcials9 use of ûrearms There were negative developments in

during border control operations remained of access by asylum seekers and refugees to

concern. In July a man died after the social and economic support. The Helios

coastguard ûred shots at a boat during a programme, run by the International

pursuit operation off Symi. Organization for Migration with funding from

In December the preliminary domestic the Greek authorities, ceased on 30

investigation into the actions of the authorities November. It had provided housing and other

in the June 2023 Pylos shipwreck 3 in which support to beneûciaries of international

Greece 183
protection and EU temporary protection. The while covering a demonstration in Athens in

NGO Refugee Support Aegean reported that 2021. In November, an Athens court handed

from May the authorities had stopped paying an eight-month suspended prison sentence

the ûnancial assistance owed to asylum to a police ofûcer found guilty of causing

seekers by law. bodily injury by negligence to Orestis

Panagiotou.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

In January, 16 aid workers involved in search FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

and rescue operations for refugees and Greece had yet to introduce an effective

migrants were acquitted of misdemeanour legislative framework to tackle strategic

charges, including espionage, by a court on lawsuits against public participation

Lesvos. (SLAPPs).

Concerns remained about the criminal In September an Athens Court heard the

charges ongoing against Panayote Dimitras, appeal of journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and

spokesperson of the NGO Greek Helsinki media cooperative Alterthess against a ruling

Monitor, and Tommy Olsen, head of the NGO that partially accepted a 2021 lawsuit

Aegean Boat Report, in relation to their work following their reporting on a case relating to

assisting refugees and migrants at Greece9s environmental damage. The 2021 lawsuit

borders. Panayote Dimitras remained was considered to bear the hallmarks of a

subjected to restrictive measures, including a SLAPP.

ban on leaving Greece, as part of this In October an Athens court dismissed a

investigation. In May, the authorities issued a 2022 defamation lawsuit by Grigoris

national arrest warrant for Tommy Olsen. Dimitriadis, the prime minister9s former chief

In August an NGO criticized further judicial of staff, against three journalists including

harassment against Panayote Dimitras who, Thanasis Koukakis and the media outlets

together with his wife Nafsika Papanikolatou, Newspaper of Editors and Reporters United,

faced a criminal investigation for alleged in relation to an investigative article on

breach of trust and money laundering. Greece9s surveillance scandal. Press freedom

In November, concerns were raised about NGOs characterized the lawsuit as a SLAPP.

the trial of human rights defender Alexia

Tsouni, on charges including <false RIGHT TO PRIVACY

testimony= and defamation, which appeared In January the European Court of Human

to be in response to her anti-racism work and Rights found that Greece had breached the

activism in support of refugees. right to a private life after authorities in 2012

disclosed identities and medical data of

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY women diagnosed with HIV.

Reports persisted of the police using In July, serious concerns were expressed

unnecessary and excessive force, including by opposition parties, civil society and

by misusing less-lethal weapons, against lawyers representing victims of unlawful

protesters and journalists. surveillance after an investigation by the

In December, human rights lawyer Anny Prosecutor9s Ofûce of the Supreme Court

Paparousou and a group of peaceful concluded that there were no links between

protesters were taken to a police station for the unlawful use of Predator spyware and

identity checks ahead of a demonstration. state ministries or agencies.

This move appeared to be unlawful, and

aimed primarily at preventing the protesters VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

from participating in the protest. In April, Kyriaki Griva was murdered by her

In October a court awarded compensation former partner outside an Athens police

to photojournalist Orestis Panagiotou for the station where she had gone to seek

serious injury he sustained after being hit protection. The handling of her complaint by

directly and at close range by a water cannon police caused an outcry and led to the

184 Amnesty International Report

investigation of four police ofûcers for the warming scenario, heat-related deaths in

offence of <exposing a person9s life to risk=. Greece would increase annually from 1,730

In November the UN Human Rights today to 4,767=.

Committee urged Greece to consider Large wildûres in the region of Attika in

amending the 2021 legislation on joint August and the municipality of Xylokastro in

custody to ensure the protection of all victims September burned thousands of acres of

of domestic violence, and to speciûcally land and many homes, and resulted in three

criminalize femicide. deaths. In June a study by the Organisation

for Economic Co-operation and Development

LGBTI PEOPLES9 RIGHTS noted that climate change increasingly

In February, parliament legalized same-sex exacerbated wildûre hazards in Greece.

marriage although a failure to address some

further gaps in the legal framework left LGBTI RIGHT TO HEALTH

persons, including transgender persons and Health workers and experts continued to

their children, at ongoing risk of report ongoing and signiûcant gaps in

discrimination. Greece9s national health system. These

According to the Greek Transgender included staff shortages, long working hours,

Support Association, transgender people difûculty in taking leave, and clinics at risk of

faced multiple barriers in their lives as the closure or operating at reduced capacity due

health system was still using a medical to lack of staff and/or equipment.

classiûcation list that refers to trans status as

a <gender identity disorder=.

In a report published in April concerning 1. Greece: Samos: <We Feel in Prison on the Island=: Unlawful

its 2023 ûndings, the Network for Recording Detention and Sub-Standard Conditions in an EU-Funded Refugee

Incidents of Racist Violence documented 158 Centre, 30 July ±

incidents, 61 of which concerned LGBTI

persons.

GUATEMALA
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS9 RIGHTS

The civilian alternative to compulsory military Republic of Guatemala

service remained punitive and discriminatory.

Following a landmark 2021 UN Human

Human rights defenders, journalists and
Rights Committee ruling, which found political opponents were harassed and
multiple violations of the ICCPR in the case of criminalized. Unfounded criminal
conscientious objector Lazaros Petromelidis, prosecutions indicated a lack of judicial
Greece had yet to make full reparations to independence. There were signs of progress
him or to enact reforms <to ensure the
in the state9s attitude towards Indigenous
effective guarantee of the right to
Peoples, but leaders protecting territories
conscientious objection=.
and rights were still criminalized. The
prosecution of crimes against humanity
RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT perpetrated during the 1960-1996 internal
Experts for the Climate Change Performance ü
armed con ict was delayed. The
Index criticized Greece9s substantial government took steps to recognize human
expansion of gas infrastructure as increasing
rights violations against women, regulate
the country9s dependency on fossil fuels.
the health service and improve water
An extreme heatwave, attributed by
quality. Same-sex marriage remained
scientists to the effects of climate change, prohibited.
caused heat-related deaths. In August, a

pan-European study predicted that

temperature-related deaths would increase in

Europe in this century, and that, <in the 3°C

Guatemala 185
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND least 2,763 attacks on human rights

ASSOCIATION defenders between January and October.

Politically motivated persecution continued The body responsible for the analysis of

against human rights defenders, prosecutors, risks to human rights defenders, convened

judges, journalists and political opponents by the Ministry of Interior, was reactivated. At

who had fought against impunity and the end of the year, the public policy for the

corruption, and their respective lawyers. protection of human rights defenders was still

Unfounded criminal proceedings caused pending approval, and the state had not

multiple due-process violations, often with a ratiûed the Escazú Agreement.

1
gender bias affecting criminalized women.

In January, prisoner of conscience and INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS

former prosecutor Virginia Laparra was ûnally For the ûrst time in many years, the

released after almost two years in arbitrary government established a direct dialogue

detention. In July, a court declared her guilty with several Indigenous authorities and

in a second unfounded criminal proceeding, committed to promoting a comprehensive

which forced her to go into exile. In March, development agenda that took their needs

the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention into account. In many parts of the country,

stated that journalist Jose Rubén Zamora9s however, Indigenous leaders faced

detention was arbitrary and recommended criminalization for defending the territory and

his release. In October, after more than 800 rights of Indigenous Peoples. Dozens of

days in pretrial detention, he was released peasant (campesino) and Indigenous

from prison and put under house arrest. communities were at risk of forced evictions

Cases against leaders of the suspended in the context of conüicts around land tenure.

political party Semilla Movement continued to

proceed. At the end of the year, former IMPUNITY

prosecutor Stuardo Campo remained in Delays and irregularities hindered the search

pretrial detention. for justice for crimes against humanity and

war crimes perpetrated during the internal

RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL armed conüict from 1960 to 1996, including

The Public Prosecutor9s ofûce and a the Military Diary case. A court overturned

signiûcant part of the judiciary often led the CREOMPAZ (former military detention

unfounded criminal prosecutions. During a centre) case and freed the accused retired

visit to Guatemala in July, the Inter-American military ofûcers. In November, in the middle

Commission on Human Rights pointed out of the genocide trial against former general

that unfounded criminalization was evidence Benedicto Lucas, the attorney general

of a lack of judicial independence. unjustiûably dismissed prosecutors from the

In October, Congress appointed more than Human Rights Prosecutor9s Ofûce who had

300 new magistrates for the appellate been assigned to the case. Days later, a

chambers and supreme court of justice, higher court cancelled the trial.

several of whom were alleged to be involved

in corruption and the criminalization of GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

critical voices, according to the media. The government acknowledged state

International experts pointed out that the responsibility for the feminicides of María

process did not meet international standards Isabel Véliz Franco and Claudina Velásquez

for the appointment of these positions and in the early 2000s, as ruled by the Inter-

had been subject to the interests of powerful American Court of Human Rights in 2014

stakeholders. and 2015. The government also committed

to compensate for the deaths of 41 girls who

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS were locked-in during a ûre at a state-run

Local organization Unit for Attacks on Human shelter, Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción,

Rights Defenders in Guatemala registered at

186 Amnesty International Report

in 2017. Criminal proceedings against BACKGROUND

possible perpetrators had not concluded. Sanctions imposed by ECOWAS since the

The Comprehensive Sex Education Bill was September 2021 coup were lifted in

still pending approval at the end of the year. February. A draft of a new constitution was

The NGO LAMBDA Association registered presented in July. The transitional regime put

at least 35 killings of LGBTI people from in place since the 2021 coup did not end in

January to November. Same-sex marriage 2024 as previously agreed between the

remained prohibited. authorities and ECOWAS.

The country suffered further repeated

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS power cuts because of an explosion in a fuel

According to ofûcial data, levels of severe depot in December 2023, leading to an

child malnutrition remained high. The increase in the costs of food and fuel for

government initiated dozens of complaints households and affecting businesses.

against the previous administration alleging

misuse of public funds allocated to public FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

services, including health and education. It The May 2022 ban on all protests was still in

announced measures to regulate the force, but demonstrations supporting the

purchase of medical resources and prevent president were allowed. On 17 January, the

shortages that have undermined access to minister of territorial administration

quality healthcare. threatened political parties and civil society

organizations that deûed the ban on protests

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT with the suspension or withdrawal of their

In March, the government published a licences. Despite the ban, protests were

national action plan on gender and climate organized but violently repressed, resulting in

change. In September, the government deaths and serious injuries of protesters.

created the <water cabinet= to coordinate On 26 February the trade union movement

management of water resources, amid began a strike for a reduction in the cost of

concerns over access to clean water. basic necessities, an end to media

censorship and the release of a journalist

trade unionist. In the Tamouya district in

1. <The Entire System Against Us, Criminalization of Women Justice Boffa prefecture, a 17-year-old protester was

Operators and Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala= 23 May ± shot dead, allegedly by security forces.

On 12 March, a power cut in the city of

Kindia sparked protests, in which two boys

GUINEA aged 8 and 14 were shot dead, allegedly by

security forces. The prosecutor of the Court

Republic of Guinea of First Instance of Kindia announced an

investigation into the killings.

û
Authorities intensi ed the crackdown on Between September 2021 and 15 March
1
peaceful dissent. The ban on all protests 2024, at least 47 protesters were killed.

was still in force and security forces used

excessive force to disperse protests. Access FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND

to the internet was restricted, and licences ASSOCIATION

The transitional authorities continued to
of several radio and TV stations were
restrict civic space.
revoked. Activists were arbitrarily detained
On 21 May the minister of information and
or forcibly disappeared. Eight people were
convicted for crimes against humanity in communication ordered the revocation of

the trial about the massacre of 28 licences authorizing the installation and

September 2009. operation of the radio stations FIM FM,

Espace FM, Sweet FM and Djoma FM, as

well as TV stations Djoma TV and Espace TV,

Guinea 187
<for non-compliance with the content of the INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS

speciûcations=. On 5 May, three people died in disciplinary

Internet restrictions imposed in November premises of the gendarmerie and police <due

2023 were lifted in February. to the intense heatwave that the country has

On 2 September, the Ministry of Territorial been experiencing over the past 72 hours=,

Administration and Decentralization according to the Ministry of Justice and

suspended the renewal of NGOs9 operating Human Rights.

licences for four months pending an On 25 June the military prosecutor of

assessment of their activities in line with their Conakry announced the death of former army

status. chief of staff Sadiba Koulibaly on 22 June. He

had been arrested on 4 June and sentenced

ARBITRARY DETENTION to ûve years in prison for <desertion and

4
On 18 January, at least nine journalists were illegal possession of weapons=. The Military

arrested during a protest at the Guinean Court Prosecutor9s Ofûce attributed his death

press house for the <release of jammed to cardiac arrest; his lawyer said that his

media airwaves and the restoration of access client was in good health before his

to social networks in Guinea=. They were incarceration.

released the following day, when another OHCHR warned of detention conditions of

journalist, Sekou Jamal Pendessa was children in Guinea. According to its August

arrested. On 28 February, the Conakry Court report, children 3 often imprisoned without

of Appeal sentenced him to three months in trial 3 live in overcrowded prisons in terrible

prison, including two suspended, but conditions.

released him immediately, as he had already

2
spent a month in detention. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND

REPARATION

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES On 31 July, the Dixinn Criminal Court

On 9 July, Omar Sylla, Mamadou Billo Bah convicted eight people for crimes against

and Mohammed Cissé, all members of the humanity in a trial about the massacre of 28

National Front for the Defence of the September 2009, during which more than

Constitution, were arrested at Omar Sylla9s 150 protesters were killed and over 100

house. According to Mohammed Cissé, who women were subjected to rape and other

was released the next day, they were arrested sexual violence by members of the defence

by gendarmes and detained by members of and security forces.

the special forces on the island of Kassa.

Mohammed Cissé was violently assaulted WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS

and said that all three were tortured during According to a 2024 UNICEF report, 95% of
3
interrogation. In a statement issued on 17 girls and women in Guinea aged 15 to 49

July, the General Prosecutor9s Ofûce of the had undergone female genital mutilation.

Court of Appeal in Conakry (the capital), said Survivors of sexual violence continued to

the activists had not been arrested by the face difûculties accessing adequate medical

authorities and that no prison in the country and psychological care.

was holding them. At the end of the year

Mamadou Billo Bah and Omar Sylla

remained forcibly disappeared. 1. Wounded Youth: Care and Justice Urgently Needed for the Victims

On 3 December, journalist Habib of Unlawful Use of Force in Guinea, 15 May ±

Marouane Camara was arrested by 2. <Guinea: Trade Unionist Sékou Jamal Pendessa must be

gendarmes, according to witnesses, and his released=, 23 January (French only) ±

whereabouts remained unknown at the end 3. <Guinea: Urgent investigation needed into enforced

of the year. The authorities claimed they were disappearance of two FNDC activists missing since 9 July=, 30

not informed of his arrest. August ±

188 Amnesty International Report

4. Guinea: Ongoing Human Rights Violations: Submission to the the mission for another year. By year9s end,

49th Session of the UPR Working Group, April-May 2025, 10 there were more than 500 soldiers from the

December ± Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica and Kenya, based

in Haiti.

HAITI ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

Almost half the population needed

Republic of Haiti humanitarian assistance, with alarming levels

of food insecurity and malnutrition. According

Food insecurity reached an alarming level, to the UN's World Food Programme in

the health system was in a state of collapse September, 2 million faced extreme food

and schools were forced to close because of shortages, acute malnutrition and high

violence. Hundreds of thousands of people disease levels. The health system faced

üed their homes and were at risk as serious challenges that brought it to the brink

displaced people. Criminal gangs continued of collapse. Many hospitals and health

to perpetrate abuses, including against centres had been vandalized and robbed. In

children. Sexual and gender-based violence the capital, Port-au-Prince, only 37% of

increased. Impunity prevailed as the justice health facilities were fully functional and

system struggled to function. The USA and access was difûcult due to the security

the Dominican Republic failed to provide concerns, according to a UN expert. The

international protection to Haitians üeeing education system had also been impacted by

the country and continued forcibly returning the violence, with schools forced to close due

them. to shootings or having been robbed and

burned.

BACKGROUND According to the International Organization

Political instability and violence further for Migration, by October, more than 700,000

weakened state institutions and aggravated people, half of whom were children, had üed

deûciencies in basic services. Various spikes their homes due to violence. Many internally

of violence occurred, including massacres, displaced people faced criminal gang

resulting in increased internal displacement violence and lack of access to food and

and the temporary closure of the Port-au- healthcare.

Prince airport. Several armed gangs grew

stronger and controlled important parts of the UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND KILLINGS

country, including strategic infrastructure Abuses by criminal gangs continued

such as ports and airports, exposing the unabated. According to a report by the

population to generalized violence and OHCHR in 2024, at least 5,601 people were

human rights violations.

1 killed, 2,212 people injured and 1,494

In March, after intense pressure, Ariel abducted. Criminal gangs were responsible

Henry resigned as prime minister. In April, a for countless abuses, including against

Presidential Transitional Council was formed children. These included recruitment and

of different political forces. In November, the use, killing and maiming, rape and other

transitional council dismissed the prime forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools

minister appointed in June and appointed and hospitals, abductions and denial of

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the new prime humanitarian access.

minister. In December, at least 180 people were

In June, the ûrst soldiers of the Kenyan killed in a gang-organized attack in Cité
2
police-led Multinational Security Support Soleil.

Mission, approved by the UN Security The UN Secretary-General reported on

Council in 2023, arrived in Haiti. In Haiti for the ûrst time in his Annual Report on

September, the UN Security Council renewed ü

Children and Armed Con ict, stating that the

Haiti 189
UN had veriûed 383 grave violations against

children in Haiti in 2023.

3
HONDURAS

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Republic of Honduras

Sexual and gender-based violence, including

rape, increased in the ûrst half of the year, The militarization of public security
according to a UN report, and <gangs have continued. Conditions in prisons remained
continued to use sexual violence to punish, concerning. Human rights violations
spread fear and subjugate the population=. persisted during the state of emergency and

human rights defenders lacked protection.

IMPUNITY The impacts of climate change exacerbated
The justice system struggled to operate, and the precarious situation of thousands.
human rights violations, crime and corruption Abortion and same-sex marriage remained
continued to go unpunished. prohibited.
The deployment of the Multinational

Security Support Mission in Haiti took place BACKGROUND

amidst serious concerns about the absence The creation of an international commission

of transparency relating to human rights against impunity and corruption was still

safeguards. Information was lacking on the pending.

accountability mechanism for possible

4
human rights abuses and violations. EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF

FORCE
REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS The government took steps to acknowledge

Several countries in the region failed to state responsibility for the persecution and

provide international protection to Haitians repression of social movements and protests

üeeing violence and the disastrous situation in the 1980s and between 2009 and 2021,

in the country. but obstacles to justice persisted.

Haitians faced racism and discrimination. Despite the concerns of human rights

The USA and the Dominican Republic organizations, the government extended the

continued their policy of forcibly and state of emergency aimed at combating

unlawfully returning Haitians and failed to insecurity and organized crime, and

ensure access to asylum for those seeking announced disproportionate new

5
international protection. counterterrorism measures. By October the

In October, new government measures by Ombudsperson (CONADEH) had received

the Dominican Republic tripled the number more than 700 complaints against the police

of deportations. By the end of the year, and security forces since the start of the state

199,170 people had been deported to Haiti of emergency in December 2022.

from the USA and the Dominican Republic.

DETAINEES9 RIGHTS

Overcrowding and the militarization of prisons

1. <Haiti: Severe crisis calls for lasting solutions, not impunity=, 10 continued. UN experts reported that

May ± conditions in many prisons amounted to

2. <Haiti: Justice and protection must follow reports of mass killing cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

in Cité Soleil", 11 December ± The government announced the construction

3. <Child protection urged as the Multinational Security Support of a <mega prison=.

Mission deploys to Haiti=, 2 July ±

4. <Haiti: Human rights safeguards and transparency must guide HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

security mission deployment=, 4 June ± Honduras was the most lethal country in the

5. <Dominican Republic: End racist deportations of Haitians=, 8 world for defenders of land and environment,

October ± according to Global Witness. They faced

190 Amnesty International Report

stigmatization, intimidation, arbitrary GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

detention and criminalization, most of which Congress passed a Safe Houses Law for

went unpunished. Attacks mainly occurred in women victims of gender-based violence, but

the context of disputes relating to mining the Integral Law against Violence against

projects, land-tenure insecurity, and Women Bill was still pending at the end of the

violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples year.

and Afro-descendants, including Garifuna

human rights defenders. LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS

Local organizations raised concerns over Same-sex marriage remained prohibited.

the weakness and ineffectiveness of the There was no progress towards a procedure

national protection mechanism for human for the recognition of gender identity, which

rights defenders. In September, Juan López had been ruled by the Inter-American Court

of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.

of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa was

1
shot dead.

In November, the Supreme Court of 1. <Honduras: Water defender killed=, 20 September ±

Justice conûrmed sentences against eight

men responsible for the murder of

Indigenous defender Berta Cáceres in 2016. HUNGARY

By the end of the year, the state had not

signed the Escazú Agreement. Hungary

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES9 RIGHTS û

A new state of ce targeted civil society
In October, land recovery for the Garifuna
organizations, independent media and
community of Punta Piedra began, as part of activists. Thousands of people üeeing from
the implementation of the ruling by the Inter- Ukraine lost their state-supported housing
American Court of Human Rights. in Hungary. The Court of Justice of the EU

imposed a signi cant û ûne on Hungary for

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT refusing to apply the EU common policy on
Communities in the Gulf of Fonseca reported
migration and denying asylum seekers
negative impacts on their livelihoods caused
access to protection. Repressive legislation
by rising sea levels, coastal erosion and
continued to exert a far-reaching and
environmental pollution. Prolonged drought chilling effect on LGBTI people.
in the Central American Dry Corridor in

western Honduras affected access to water BACKGROUND

and food security. Climate change impacts, The European Court of Human Rights stated
exacerbated by high levels of inequality,
that Hungary had not contravened the
contributed to forced migration from
European Convention on Human Rights by
Honduras.
prohibiting assisted suicide or euthanasia,

including when assistance was given in a

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS foreign state. In January, after years of

Abortion remained prohibited in all conüict with the central administration of the

circumstances and access to the emergency Hungarian courts, 128 judge-delegates

contraception pill was hampered due to
elected 14 new members of the National
limited availability at public health facilities.
Judicial Council tasked with supervising the
The UN Human Rights Committee received a
lawful operation of the central administration
complaint against Honduras about an of courts and the Supreme Court.

Indigenous woman and human rights

defender who was denied an abortion after

she was raped.

Hungary 191
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION member states based on its overall

In February a new authority named the performance, and placed it last in the domain

Sovereignty Protection Ofûce began of gender equality in positions of political and

investigating organizations and individuals economic power.

considered to be a threat to national An EU survey published in November

sovereignty. Its remit gave it broad found that 55% of Hungarian women had

discretionary powers to stigmatize and faced gender-based violence at some point

intimidate those critical of the authorities. The and that 8% were currently living in an

ofûce launched investigations against NGOs, abusive relationship.

including Transparency International

Hungary, and an investigative media outlet. UNLAWFUL TARGETED SURVEILLANCE

Reports published by the ofûce concluded In March the Budapest Metropolitan Court

that Transparency International and other found that the National Authority for Data

civil society organizations served foreign Protection and Freedom of Information had

interests and harmed the political, economic violated the human rights of four citizens

and societal interests of Hungary. targeted by Pegasus spyware, by not

Due to concerns about the activities of the investigating their complaints effectively.

Sovereignty Protection Ofûce, the European

Commission launched an infringement REFUGEES9 AND MIGRANTS9 RIGHTS

procedure against Hungary and referred the Temporary protection of people üeeing from

country to the Court of Justice of the EU Ukraine was prolonged until 4 March 2025.

(CJEU) in October. Despite several calls from However, the government decided that, after

civil society, the commission did not request 21 August, only pregnant women, children,

an interim measure from the court. The case people living with disabilities, and those aged

was pending at the end of the year. 65 and older üeeing from <active combat

zones= in Ukraine were eligible for state-

INHUMANE DETENTION CONDITIONS supported housing. Approximately 3,000

In November the parliament overturned a people lost their housing as a result of these

ban on physical contact between prisoners changes; most were women with small

and their visitors, which had been in place children, many of them Roma.

since 2017. Although plexiglass separation In June the CJEU imposed a ûne of EUR

screens would remain in some settings, the 200 million (approximately HUF 80 billion)

new rules would allow approximately 5,000 on Hungary for <deliberately evading the

prisoners more intimate and personal contact application of the EU common policy= on

with their loved ones from March 2025. migration by not allowing people to claim

The changes followed a European Court of asylum at the border. Additionally, Hungary

Human Rights decision against the ban in faced a ûne of EUR 1 million (approximately

2023. HUF 400 million) per day. This was to be

applied until Hungary amended legislation

EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE allowing often violent pushbacks of asylum

OF FORCE seekers at the country9s borders.

Following a death in police custody in 2018,

the Supreme Court in April repealed the RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL

former judgment acquitting a police ofûcer Hungary made no attempt to implement the

and ordered a new investigation to assess recommendations of the European

whether the police had used unlawful force. Commission9s Rule of Law Report to address

systematic deûciencies in judicial

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS independence, media freedom and the

The 2024 Gender Equality Index, published country9s anti-corruption framework.

by the European Institute of Gender Equality, In December the president of the National

ranked Hungary 26th out of the 27 EU Judicial Council resigned after approximately

192 Amnesty International Report

2,000 judges and court staff protested

against a deal that required their agreement INDIA

to a vaguely worded judicial reform proposal

as a precondition for receiving a salary rise. Republic of India

Judges and judicial organizations described

the deal as <blackmail= and criticized the National ûnancial and investigation
government9s proposal, fearing it could agencies were weaponized against civil
compromise their independence. However, society, human rights defenders, activists,
the parliament adopted some elements of the journalists and critics, further shrinking
reform in December. civic space. Authorities continued to
unlawfully demolish properties belonging to
LGBTI PEOPLE9S RIGHTS religious minorities as a means of meting
Adding to its ongoing anti-LGBTI campaign, out extrajudicial punishment. India9s
the government introduced further limitations colonial-era criminal procedure and penal
on publications or products in cases where laws were repealed to bring in new laws that
their <deûning element= was deemed to continued to carry problematic provisions
portray or promote LGBTI themes or such as sedition. Travel restrictions were
sexuality. The changes added to a sense of imposed on academics, journalists and
uncertainty among companies, creating a human rights defenders by suspending their
chilling effect and the likelihood of increased work visas, denying them entry to the
self-censorship. country and cancelling their Overseas
The CJEU held a hearing in November as Citizen of India status. The Election
part of a European Commission infringement Commission conducted state legislative
procedure against Hungary9s anti-LGBTI assembly elections after 10 years in Jammu
<Propaganda Law= of 2021. The law & Kashmir. Manipur continued to reel under
continued to have a far-reaching effect on ethnic violence.
LGBTI individuals and groups, entrenching

negative stereotypes and discriminatory BACKGROUND

attitudes and restricting the right to freedom General elections were held from 19 April to

of expression. Government and European 1 June, against a backdrop of repression of

Parliament representatives from 16 member peaceful protesters and systematic

states intervened at the CJEU hearing. discrimination against religious minorities.

Despite not winning the majority of

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT constituencies, the ruling political party,

Hungary ranked 45th in the Climate Change Bharatiya Janata, started its third consecutive

Performance Index in 2024, placing it among term in government by forming a coalition

the low performers especially on renewable with the National Democratic Alliance.

energy use. While Hungary9s climate policies On 22 January, Prime Minister Narendra

aligned with EU targets, they were vague and Modi inaugurated a Hindu Ram temple in

lacked actionable measures. Despite the Ayodhya town, Uttar Pradesh state, on the

growth of solar panel installations and the site of Babri Masjid, a medieval-era mosque

lifting of a ban on wind turbines, Hungary that was demolished by a Hindu mob in

planned to increase domestic production of 1992. The inauguration ahead of the

fossil gas and extend to 2030 the operating elections was marked by religious tensions in

life of a coal-ûred power plant responsible for the country, leading to incidents of violence

14% of Hungary9s CO2 emissions. against Muslims.

In June the global Financial Action Task

Force (FATF) concluded its fourth evaluation

of India9s efforts to stamp out money

laundering and to counter the ûnancing of

India 193
terrorism. It called on India to ensure that the Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and

restrictive measures it had put in place Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment

around the regulation and monitoring of non- Rules, 2023 3 that had allowed authorities to

proût organizations and their funding follow a label online content as <fake or false or

risk-based analysis in line with the FATF misleading= 3 as unconstitutional.

deûnition. According to the Software Freedom Law

India9s membership of the UN Human Center, a digital rights organization tracking

Rights Council came to an end after two internet shutdowns, authorities imposed 40

consecutive three-year terms. Between 2019 internet shutdowns between January and

and 2024 the country received a total of 83 December in nine states and one union

communications from various UN experts territory. These blanket shutdowns were

and responded to only 20. It had accepted imposed to <maintain law and order= during

only one visit request since 2019 and had 19 episodes of ethnic and communal violence,

pending, including from the UN Special farmer protests and aptitude examinations for

Rapporteur on torture, dating back to 1999. government jobs and higher studies.

Garment workers continued to face major

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND challenges to their right to freedom of

ASSOCIATION association and collective bargaining. Low

The authorities passed laws that criminalized wages and extreme levels of casualization of

dissent, with debilitating consequences for labour were endemic, especially for women

the rights to freedom of expression, and female workers from the Dalit

association, peaceful assembly and fair trial. community.

On 1 July, three laws 3 Bharatiya Nyaya

Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam and Human rights defenders

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 3 came Authorities weaponized the central ûnancial

into force. They replaced the Indian Penal and investigation agencies to crack down on

Code, 1860; the Indian Evidence Act, 1872; civil society organizations and human rights

and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1882. defenders. The Foreign Contribution

Claimed to overhaul colonial-era laws, the (Regulation) Act licences of at least seven

new laws retained problematic provisions NGOs were cancelled, preventing the

including sedition. organizations from accessing essential funds.

On 11 April, Apple notiûed several users in On 25 September the Income Tax

India of potential attacks by <mercenary Department cancelled the tax-exempt

spyware=, including the cyber-intelligence registration of Aman Biradari, an NGO

ûrm NSO Group9s Pegasus malware. Iltija founded by activist Harsh Mander.

Mufti, media advisor and daughter of On 1 July a Delhi court sentenced human

Kashmiri political leader Mehbooba Mufti, rights activist Medha Patkar to ûve months9

and Pushparaj Deshpande, founder of the imprisonment in a politically motivated 23-

non-proût organization Samruddha Bharat year-old criminal defamation case ûled by the

Foundation, reported receiving the government-appointed Lieutenant Governor

notiûcations. of Delhi. The sentence was later suspended

Legislative attempts to stiüe freedom of on appeal.

expression were thwarted. Following a public On 17 October the United States

backlash, in August the Ministry of Department of Justice ûled charges of money

Information and Broadcasting withdrew a laundering and murder-for-hire against

draft of the Broadcasting Services Vikash Yadav, an employee of the Indian

(Regulation) Bill, which sought to expand the government. He was accused of involvement

scope of <digital news broadcasters= to in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh activist

include content creators on social media Gurwant Singh Pannun.

channels. On 20 September the Bombay

High Court struck down the Information

194 Amnesty International Report

Journalists Nadu Goondas Act. On 25 September the

The authorities continued to crack down on Supreme Court ordered his release.

local journalists and imposed travel On 14 May the Supreme Court granted bail

restrictions on foreign journalists by refusing to Gautam Navlakha, a journalist who had

them work visas and cancelling their spent four years in pretrial detention. The

overseas citizenship of India (OCI) status. charges against him, including under the

The OCI status of Vanessa Dougnac, a draconian anti-terror law Unlawful Activities

former South Asia correspondent for various (Prevention) Act (UAPA), related to his

international media organizations, was alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon

cancelled for her <malicious and critical= violence. Sixteen human rights activists were

reporting. Avani Das, South Asia bureau chief arrested and eight continued to remain

of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, imprisoned without trial in this case.

and French journalist Sébastien Farcis were On 14 June, Delhi9s lieutenant governor

forced to leave India after the authorities sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy,

refused to extend their work permits. an internationally celebrated writer, and

On 11 September, Australian ûlmmaker Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a Kashmiri

David Bradbury was denied entry into India academic. They were charged under the

without any explanation. He was interrogated UAPA.

about his documentary on the protests On 6 July, Uttar Pradesh police ûled a ûrst

against the Kudankulam nuclear plant in information report against journalist Zakir Ali

Tamil Nadu state. Tyagi and three others. They were accused of

On 26 November, Uttar Pradesh police <promoting enmity between different groups=

informed the Allahabad High Court that the and <making statements conducive to public

ûrst information report against news website mischief= for posting messages on social

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair media about the lynching of a Muslim man in

included <endangering sovereignty, unity and Shamli district on 5 July.

integrity of India=. The police commenced its

investigation into Mohammed Zubair based ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

on the ûrst information report. Forced evictions

Forced evictions and punitive demolitions of

ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS
properties were used by state authorities from
Six students and human rights activists
2020 as a form of collective and arbitrary
remained in detention for their alleged
punishment following episodes of communal
involvement in orchestrating the 2020 Delhi
violence and protests. Between 2020 and
communal violence.
2022, over 2,840 properties, including
In the lead-up to the general elections the
homes and places of worship, mostly
Enforcement Directorate, India9s primary
belonging to Muslims, in various states
ûnancial crime investigation agency, arrested
1
across India were demolished.
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi9s chief minister, and
In November, in two landmark judgments,
Hemant Soren, Jharkhand9s chief minister.
the Supreme Court ruled that arbitrary
They were both members of opposition
demolitions of properties, often instigated by
political parties. The Supreme Court granted
the highest levels of government against
them bail in September. On 8 May, Tamil
Muslims in particular, were <high handed and
Nadu state police arrested YouTuber Savukku
arbitrary= and amounted to <collective
Shankar for making <denigrating comments=
2
punishment=. The court declared them
against women police personnel in
unconstitutional and laid down a series of
Coimbatore city. Following his arrest, a total
due process guidelines.
of 17 ûrst information reports were ûled

against Savukku Shankar, leading to his

administrative detention under the Tamil

India 195
Discrimination across the country. On 14 August,

On 7 March, ahead of the general elections, unidentiûed people attacked hospital staff

the Assam state government suspended the members who were protesting.

granting of no-objection certiûcates for land The media reported 33 incidents of sexual

sales between people belonging to different and physical violence against Dalit women

religions for a period of three months. This between January and September.

raised concerns about discrimination against

Muslims as it effectively restricted them to DISCRIMINATION

living in religiously segregated areas. In a landmark judgment, a court in Karnataka

On 24 September the Uttar Pradesh state convicted 101 people in the 2014

government directed that the names and Marakumbi caste atrocity case and

addresses of operators, proprietors and sentenced 98 people to life imprisonment for

managers must be displayed at all food torching the huts of Dalits.

centres. This directive was despite a In October a 19-year-old Dalit woman in

Supreme Court ruling on 22 July that refused Madhya Pradesh state was burned to death

to enforce a similar directive in Uttar Pradesh after ûling a complaint that she had been

state, holding that it perpetuates identity- sexually harassed. The woman was set on ûre

based discrimination. by the son of the man she had reported to

police for harassment.

FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY On 7 February, Uttarakhand state passed

There were numerous incidents of unlawful the Uniform Civil Code, without adequate

use of force against peaceful protesters by legislative and public consultation. It replaced

police ofûcials. religion-speciûc civil laws on personal

Following peaceful large-scale farmers9 matters. The law was seen as targeting the

protests in February in Punjab and Haryana customary rules followed by Muslims while

states, Haryana police unlawfully used not changing any customary rules for the

drones to ûre rounds of tear gas to disperse Hindu community. On 11 March the

protesters. On 21 February, 20-year-old authorities operationalized the Citizenship

farmer Shubhkaran Singh was shot dead Amendment Act, 2019. The Act legitimized
3
during the protest. On the order of the discrimination on the basis of religion by

Punjab and Haryana High Court, a failing to recognize Muslims as asylum

committee was formed to investigate his seekers and refugees.

death. On 30 July the Uttar Pradesh state

Over 1,500 workers from Samsung legislative assembly amended the Uttar

Electronics staged a peaceful protest in Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion

Chennai city, Tamil Nadu state. They of Religion Act. The amendment effectively

demanded the recognition of their newly- criminalized consensual inter-faith marriages

formed union to ensure negotiation over and raised the maximum punishment to life

better wages and work management. In imprisonment.

response, the police detained over 300

protesters. JAMMU AND KASHMIR

At least 51 people in seven states faced Khurram Parvez, a Kashmiri human rights

criminal cases for organizing pro-Palestine defender, remained in detention under

rallies and for posting pro-Palestine content politically motivated charges of terrorism.

on social media. On 23 February, Nitasha Kaul, a British-

Indian professor of Kashmiri origin, was

WOMEN9S AND GIRLS9 RIGHTS denied entry to India while on her way to

On 9 August, a 31-year-old trainee doctor attend a conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka

was raped and murdered at the RG Kar state.

Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West On 10 May, Aasif Sultan, editor of online

Bengal state, sparking a wave of protests news portal Kashmir Wallah, was granted bail

196 Amnesty International Report

and released from prison after being held for RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

nearly six years. The government lacked adequate disaster

Between 18 September and 1 October, preparedness policies and failed to effectively

and in compliance with the 2023 Supreme respond to üoods and air pollution

Court judgment, the Election Commission exacerbated by climate change. In November

conducted the ûrst legislative assembly the air pollution level in the capital, New

elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the Delhi, put residents9 health at serious risk,

elected government was dissolved in 2019. according to data by the Central Pollution

In June and July, in the lead-up to the Control Board. Assam state remained

elections, four renowned Kashmiri lawyers vulnerable to intense üoods, which killed at

and members of the Jammu and Kashmir least 113 people in July and affected at least

Bar Association were arrested in Srinagar 3.3 million people.

under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety The authorities failed to provide adequate
4
Act (PSA). On 12 July the lieutenant support to marginalized communities

governor of Jammu and Kashmir 3 appointed affected by heatwaves, leaving at least 100

by the central government 3 was given people dead and 40,000 affected. Analysis

absolute control over state governance, by Skymet, a weather services company, said

including local administrative ofûcials, climate change had altered weather patterns,

prisons, prosecutions and law ofûces. including the absence of winter rain, which

On 8 October, journalist Sajad Gul was contributed to declining air quality over the

released after being held for two years under Indo-Gangetic Plains, including Delhi. The

the PSA. Climate Action Tracker rated India9s climate

targets and policies as <highly insufûcient=,

MANIPUR indicating that they are not consistent with

The state government failed to end continued the Paris Agreement9s 1.5°C temperature

ethnic violence between the dominant Meitei limit.

community and the minority Kuki and other

tribal hill communities. At least 32 reported

incidents of gender-based violence were 1. India: <If You Speak Up, Your House Will be Demolished=:

committed against those belonging to ethnic Bulldozer Injustice in India, 7 February ±

tribal communities by members of armed 2. <India: Landmark Supreme Court judgement must serve as a

vigilante groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei turning point in hate campaigns against Muslims in India=, 13

Lippun. No vigilante group members faced November ±

5
prosecution. Houses were burned and more 3. <India: The price of protest must not be death=, 22 February ±

than 20 people were killed in the state in 4. <India: Authorities must end repression of dissent in Jammu and

November. Kashmir=, 18 September ±

According to media organization The Wire, 5. <India: Authorities 8missing-in-action9 amid ongoing violence and

a 48-minute audio ûle was submitted to the impunity in Manipur state 3 New testimonies=, 16 July ±

Ministry of Home Affairs allegedly containing

discriminatory remarks made by the state9s

chief minister, N. Biren Singh, against the INDONESIA

Kuki tribal community and evidence of his

ofûcial complicity in the ongoing ethnic Republic of Indonesia

violence.

On 22 September, Meitei Lippun

Public protests were met with excessive and
threatened human rights activist Babloo
unnecessary force by police. Journalists
Loitongbam and his family for allegedly were targeted. Freedom of expression
collaborating with the tribal Kuki community continued to be repressed under
during the ethnic violence. problematic laws. Unlawful killings, torture

and impunity continued in Papua.

Indonesia 197
Development projects affecting Indigenous parties to ûeld local candidates. It would also

Peoples lacked free, prior and informed have permitted the son of former president

consent. Concerns were raised about energy Joko Widodo 3 who did not meet the age

policy and the government9s plan for zero requirement for candidacy 3 to run for

net emissions. Research revealed that regional ofûce. Due to the backlash,

intrusive spyware and surveillance parliament withdrew the bill.

technology was imported and deployed by Security forces responded to the

the government. demonstrations, known as the

<#EmergencyWarning= (#PeringatanDarurat)

BACKGROUND protests, with excessive and unnecessary use

In February, Prabowo Subianto was elected of force and arbitrary arrests. At least 344

as the new president. Prabowo Subianto had people were arrested, 152 physically injured

previously been accused of responsibility for and 17 suffered from the effects of tear gas.

human rights violations in the late 1990s, At least one person was subjected to short-

including the enforced disappearance of term enforced disappearance, while 65

activists. There were widespread doubts suffered multiple abuses, including arbitrary
2
about the independence of the election arrest and incommunicado detention. Most

process, including criticism of former of those arrested were subsequently

president Joko Widodo for campaigning on released. Fourteen people were charged

behalf of his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, under the Criminal Code for expressing

despite Gibran not meeting formal hatred and for violence against property. In

requirements for candidacy. The requirement Bandung, West Java province, a video

was later reafûrmed in a Constitutional Court veriûed by Amnesty International showed

ruling. police ofûcers chasing unarmed protesters,

striking them with batons and stamping on

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY them. On 26 August, in Semarang, Central

Security forces employed excessive and Java province, at least 15 university students

unnecessary force against protesters. were hospitalized after police used tear gas to

On 20 May the People9s Water Forum disperse protesters. Children were also

(PWF) 3 an event bringing together a exposed to tear gas used in residential

3
worldwide network of people and areas.

organizations advocating for water as a

human right 3 was violently disrupted by HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

members of a local paramilitary group At least 123 cases of physical assaults, digital

demanding the cancellation of the event. attacks, threats and other forms of reprisals

Video footage showed the group destroying against 288 human rights defenders were

event banners and billboards and physically reported during the year. Human rights

attacking forum participants. They accused defenders lacked adequate legal protection,

the PWF of distracting attention from the leaving them vulnerable to threats and

10th World Water Forum, concurrently intimidation. Very few of those responsible for

hosted by the government in Nusa Dua, the attacks were brought to justice, with only
1
Bali. Not only did the authorities fail to a small number being convicted in court.

prevent the attack, but by year9s end the On 17 July, Yan Christian Warinussy, a

perpetrators remained unidentiûed. senior lawyer and human rights activist in

Between 22 and 26 August, thousands of Papua, was shot and injured by an

demonstrators took to the streets in provinces unidentiûed person in Manokwari, West

across the country to protest attempts by the Papua province. The attack occurred after he

House of Representatives to change the attended a corruption trial involving local

election law, despite a Constitutional Court state auditors at the Manokwari anti-

ruling. The amendment would have corruption court. By year9s end there was no
4
reintroduced higher thresholds for political known progress in a police inquiry.

198 Amnesty International Report

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION year, there had been no reported progress on

In January the Second Amendment to the the case.

Electronic Information and Transaction Law

(EIT) entered into force and included several TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT

changes which were deemed insufûcient by Amnesty International documented at least

civil society. There were concerns that the 40 cases of torture and other ill-treatment

Amendment retained criminal sanctions for with at least 59 victims during the year. In

defamation which had been consistently January a police ofûcer allegedly tortured four

utilized to suppress rights defenders and residents from Amasing village, North Maluku

opposition ûgures since the EIT was ûrst province. According to the victims, they were

issued in 2016. travelling to Labuha village when they were

On 8 January, human rights defenders stopped by a police ofûcer, who beat and

Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti were stepped on them and directed others to join

acquitted of criminal defamation charges by in the assault. The police denied involvement

the East Jakarta District Court. They had and refused to reveal the name of the
6
been charged under the EIT law for accused perpetrator.

<spreading false information= via a YouTube In March a 16-second video circulated

video which reported allegations that a showing a Papuan man being tortured inside
7
minister and members of the military were a barrel ûlled with water. The incident was

involved in the mining industry in Papua reportedly part of the torture of three

province. Indigenous Papuan men the previous month.

In March a ruling by the Constitutional A credible source found that the incident

Court declared three articles of the Criminal took place in Puncak Regency, Central

Code and criminal law regulation on Papua province, and stated that the

defamation as unconstitutional. perpetrators were members of the Yonif 300

Raider Braja Wijaya Battalion from West Java

Journalists province, who were sent to Papua for border

Journalists continued to encounter violence patrol. After initially denying involvement, 13

and intimidation. During the ofûcers were named as suspects by the West

<#EmergencyWarning= protests, at least 11 Java military, who claimed the victim in the

journalists in the capital, Jakarta, were video was among Papuan armed separatists

reportedly targeted by law enforcement. who had tried to üee during arrest. He later

Incidents involved acts of intimidation and died and the two other Papuan men were

death threats, as well as psychological and hospitalized. At year9s end, the perpetrators

physical violence, resulting in serious injuries. had not been brought to court.

Three members of the Student Press Institute

in Semarang, Central Java province, suffered UNLAWFUL KILLINGS

breathing problems and lost consciousness In Papua, unlawful killings of civilians

due to exposure to tear gas ûred by police to continued with impunity within the context of

disperse a demonstration. the conüict between the Indonesian military

On 22 August, members of the security and armed separatist groups.

forces were suspected of beating and In May, in its concluding observations, the

threatening to kill a journalist working for the UN Human Rights Committee raised

news outlet Tempo, who was covering a concerns about extrajudicial killings of

demonstration at the Parliamentary Complex. Indigenous Papuans.

Three police ofûcers apparently hit and In August, ofûcers from the Nabire Police

intimidated the journalist at a nearby police Ofûce in Papua arrested Yeremias Magai and

post and forced him to delete the video he Ken Boga on suspicion of murdering a
5
had recorded. Tempo submitted a formal security guard. During their interrogation both

complaint to the police. At the end of the men were allegedly blindfolded and beaten

with bare ûsts and heavy tools including a

Indonesia 199
hammer. Yermias Magai died from his protesting against the project, plain-clothed

injuries. Ken Boga and the family of the individuals continued to intimidate and

deceased maintained their innocence and assault residents guarding a road in Sungai

claimed that the interrogation was an attempt Bulu village. Three people were injured when

to force a confession. The lawyers for the they were hit by a wooden plank and a

victims9 families reported the case to the helmet. Posters expressing opposition to the

Indonesian Commission of Human Rights for project were also damaged.

investigation.

In August a New Zealand helicopter pilot, RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Glen Malcolm Conning, was killed by armed In September the government ûnalized two

group members upon landing in Papua. He major policy documents: the Draft

had been transporting health workers from a Government Regulation concerning the

private company. Amnesty International National Energy Policy (RPP KEN) and the
8
called for a full investigation. In September, New and Renewable Energy (EBET) Bill. The

another New Zealander, Philip Mark documents were deemed crucial for shaping

Mehrtens, a pilot of a small commercial the country9s energy policy. While the

plane, was released after being held for more Ministry of Mineral Energy and Resources

than 19 months by the West Papua National and Commission VII of the parliament agreed

Liberation Army (TPNPB), a pro- on the Government Regulation on RPP KEN,

independence group in the Papua region. parliamentary discussions on the EBET Bill

were ongoing at year9s end.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Civil society organizations raised concerns

The implementation of National Strategic about the two bills, believing that they

Projects 3 projects deemed to have an remained inadequate for a transition towards

exceptional impact on economic growth in net zero emissions. In the RPP KEN, the

Indonesia 3 went ahead in the absence of government lowered the targets for the

sufûcient prior consultation with affected renewable energy mix, adjusting the 2025

communities. In many cases, they lacked the goal from 23% to a range of 17-19%, and for

free, prior and informed consent of impacted 2030 from 26% to a new range of 19-21%.

Indigenous Peoples. The EBET Bill still allowed the development

In March, residents of Sukaraja, Bukit of fossil fuels, as long as it was accompanied

Raya, Pemaluan and Bumi Harapan, largely by carbon capture and storage technology. In

Balik Indigenous Peoples, received a notice addition, both documents lacked social

from the Nusantara Capital Authority impact considerations, leading to fears of

demanding they demolish their properties further land-grabbing for energy projects and

within a week. The authority argued that the prolonging injustice for communities.

homes violated the spatial plan of the

proposed new Indonesian capital and sent a UNLAWFUL TARGETED SURVEILLANCE

consultation invitation to the affected In May, Amnesty International published a

communities only 24 hours before the research report detailing the extensive sales

meeting. The authority later revoked the and use of highly intrusive spyware and

demolition order following objections from surveillance technologies from 2017 until at

residents, who were nevertheless required to least 2023. There were numerous instances

relocate with insufûcient compensation. At of spyware imports or deployments by

the end of the year residents continued to live companies and state agencies, including the

under the threat of imminent eviction. National Police and the National Cyber and

Residents affected by Rempang Eco City, a Crypto Agency. The equipment was sourced

17,000-hectare integrated industrial project from Greece, Isra