FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND Afghanistan (Sehatmandi). As of November, ASSEMBLY 3,000 health clinics had closed due to lack of The Taliban forcibly dispersed peaceful funding. The multi-donor project was the protests across Afghanistan, including using main source of support for quality health gunfire, electroshock weapons and tear gas, care, nutrition and family planning services and beat and lashed protesters with whips across Afghanistan. In September, the WHO and cables. On 4 September, a protest in warned of a rapid decline in public health Kabul involving around 100 women conditions, including escalating rates of demanding the inclusion of women in the measles, diarrhoea and polio in children. new government and respect for women’s Lack of emergency preparedness and the rights was dispersed by Taliban special poor state of public health infrastructure forces, reportedly with tear gas and meant that Afghanistan was already ill- electroshock weapons. Women protesters equipped to deal with a mid-year surge in were beaten. On 7 September, the Taliban Covid-19 cases. Internally displaced people shot and killed Omid Sharifi, a civil society living in overcrowded conditions with activist, and Bashir Ahmad Bayat, a insufficient access to water, sanitation and 6 schoolteacher, as they protested against the health facilities were at particular risk. As of Taliban in Herat province. Eight other 15 November there had been at least 7,293 protesters were injured. On 8 September, the deaths from Covid-19. About 7% of the Taliban’s Ministry of the Interior issued an population were vaccinated. order banning all demonstrations and Health workers and health facilities came gatherings “until a policy of demonstration is under attack throughout the year. Nine polio codified”. vaccinators were shot and killed in Despite assurances that it would respect Nangarhar province in the first six months of 7 freedom of expression, the Taliban severely the year. In October, the Taliban committed curtailed media freedom. Journalists were to supporting the resumption of a nationwide detained and beaten and had equipment polio vaccination campaign and to permit the confiscated, particularly when covering involvement of women frontline workers. protests. Media workers, particularly women, They also committed to provide security and were intimidated, threatened and harassed, safety for all frontline health workers. forcing many to go into hiding or leave the IMPUNITY country. House-to-house searches for journalists were conducted, particularly those On 27 September the Prosecutor of the ICC working for western media outlets. On 20 announced plans to resume investigations August, Taliban members broke into the into crimes committed in Afghanistan, but home of a journalist working for the German focused only on those crimes allegedly media outlet Deutsche Welle. Unable to find committed by the Taliban and IS-K. The him, they killed one of his relatives and decision to “deprioritize” investigations into injured another. By late October, more than possible war crimes committed by the 200 media outlets had closed. The Afghan National Directorate of Security, ANDSF, US Journalist Safety Committee announced that armed forces and the US Central Intelligence at least 12 journalists had been killed and Agency risked further entrenching impunity 230 assaulted in the 12 months to November and undermining the legitimacy of the ICC.8 2021. RIGHT TO HEALTH 1. “Afghanistan: Unspeakable killings of civilians must prompt end to impunity”, 10 May The already weak health sector was further 2. “Afghanistan: Taliban responsible for brutal massacre of Hazara men damaged in August by the suspension of – new investigation”, 19 August international aid to the System Enhancement 3. “Afghanistan: Unravelling of women’s and girls’ rights looms as for Health Action in Transition Project for peace talks falter”, 24 May Amnesty International Report 2021/22 67