authorities failed to take action to bring them after the ICC acquitted him on charges of to account. crimes against humanity (see below, Right to truth, justice and reparation), the police used 1. Congo: On the Back of the Crisis. Violations of the Right to Health tear gas to disperse groups of his supporters and Repression of Economic and Social Rights Defenders in the throughout the day. Republic of Congo (Index: AFR 22/3887/2021), 19 April The police prevented a peaceful protest from going ahead on 21 July, basing its decision, in part, on health and safety issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The CÔTE D’IVOIRE protest was organized by Initiative Citoyenne contre la Cherté de la Vie, a movement which Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Head of state: Alassane Dramane Ouattara had denounced the high cost of living. Head of government: Patrick Achi (replaced Hamed ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS Bakayoko in March) In January, five women opposition members, The authorities prevented peaceful who were arbitrarily arrested during a gatherings from going ahead. Hundreds of peaceful demonstration in August 2020 protesters who were arrested in the context against president Ouattara’s candidacy, were of the 2020 presidential elections were released unconditionally after more than four released, and investigations took place into months in detention. violence during that period. The right to In April, Pulchérie Edith Gbalet, president of food was compromised as the price of basic the social justice organization Alternative necessities increased by 8.8%. The houses Citoyenne Ivoirienne and her three of thousands of people were demolished colleagues, Gédéon Junior Gbaou, Aimé without alternative housing being provided. César Kouakou N’Goran and Cyrille Djehi Bi, The government took measures to boost were released from MACA central prison in Covid-19 vaccination numbers. The Abidjan. The case against Pulchérie Edith National Assembly approved a law to Gbalet was pending at the end of the year. remove the requirement for survivors of She was arbitrarily arrested on 15 August gender-based violence to pay for a medical 2020 by masked men after she had called for certificate to file a complaint. peaceful demonstrations, and was charged BACKGROUND with “compromising public order, participation in an insurrectionary movement, Between 21 January and 28 February, the undermining the state’s authority, wilful government imposed a state of emergency to destruction of public property and provoking combat the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a gathering”. About 100 others, also arrested renewed in March until June, then extended during 2020 protests, were freed in April in July until 30 September. under interim release orders or under judicial Parliamentary elections were held on 6 supervision. The detainees had been held in March, more than four months after the appalling conditions with limited access to 1 presidential elections in which Alassane lawyers. Ouattara was re-elected president for a third On 17 June, tens of Laurent Gbagbo term. In June, former prime minister supporters were arbitrarily arrested for Guillaume Soro was sentenced in his compromising public order when they absence to life imprisonment for undermining gathered to welcome the former president national security. back to the country. They were all FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY subsequently released. In August, on the eve of Independence Day, On 17 June, the day former president President Ouattara announced the Laurent Gbagbo returned to Côte d’Ivoire conditional or provisional release of 69 more Amnesty International Report 2021/22 137