had been re-elected to Guatemala's lead to NGOs being shut down or targeted in Constitutional Court, left the country after other ways. The appeals were pending at the Congress blocked her swearing-in ceremony end of the year. and refused to let her take up the Court hearings continued in the case of appointment. prisoner of conscience Bernardo Caal Xol, In June, four judges from high-risk criminal imprisoned since January 2018 for defending courts who had been granted precautionary the rights of Q'eqchi' Maya communities measures by the Inter-American Commission affected by the construction of the OXEC 2 on Human Rights, reported to the Public hydroelectric dam project. In August, the Prosecutor’s Office that they were the targets Supreme Court rejected a cassation appeal of harassment and threats. One month later, for his release presented by his lawyers. In the Attorney General dismissed Juan October, police agents violently repressed Francisco Sandoval, head of the Special Q'eqchi' Maya people who had been Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity, who peacefully protesting for three weeks against fled the country amid concerns over his a mining company operating in their territory safety. In October, she also transferred the in El Estor, as well as other demonstrators head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office on and journalists. Following the incident, the Human Rights, who had helped bring the President decreed a state of emergency in former military president Efraín Ríos Montt to the municipality. justice. HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE Guatemalans continued to flee violence, poverty, inequality and climate change. The Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Hundreds of Guatemalans were deported Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) and pushed back by Mexican authorities, recorded 839 attacks against human rights together with other people from Central defenders between January and November. America and Haiti, to remote areas at the Guatemala once again had the fourth highest border where they were left without proper rate of killings worldwide of land and assistance. environmental defenders per capita; 13 were Security forces beat and used tear gas killed in 2020, according to the NGO Global against a caravan of migrants and asylum Witness. seekers attempting to enter the country in Despite this, by the end of the year January, on the pretext of enforcing Covid-19 3 Guatemala had yet to ratify the Regional protocols. Agreement on Access to Information, Public RIGHT TO HEALTH Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean Guatemala had the lowest percentage of (Escazú Agreement), which includes people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in provisions for the protection of environmental Latin America, at just 25.7%, amid human rights defenders. corruption allegations in connection with the In May, the new members of the purchase of vaccines and the handling of the Constitutional Court rejected legal challenges pandemic. filed by civil society organizations against the Although a detailed national vaccination controversial NGO Law and it entered into plan was published, it did not include a force on 21 June. At least three appeals were protocol for Indigenous peoples. subsequently filed before the Constitutional VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Court in relation to elements of the law that could allow for serious violations of the rights In March, after two decades of struggle for to freedom of expression and association, justice by the family of María Isabel Veliz including vaguely worded clauses that could Franco, a 15-year-old girl killed in 2001 Amnesty International Report 2021/22 182