and more than 25,000 deaths in a population The decree-law obliged employers to of about 11.7 million. In mid-July 2021, suspend without pay public sector and confirmed daily deaths per million were the salaried private sector workers who lacked a second highest in the world. vaccine pass. On 25 July, the President suspended FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, citing emergency powers Despite frequent bans on public gatherings under Article 80 of the Constitution. In as part of the government’s Covid-19 September, he issued Decree-Law 2021-117, measures, people staged protests throughout which suspended most of the Constitution the year, often in relation to socio-economic and granted him total control of most aspects rights. Police arrested more than 1,500 of governance, including the right to legislate people during the January wave of through decrees and to regulate the media, demonstrations. civil society and courts. On 11 October, the That month, one police union responded to President announced a new government. peaceful protests by announcing a ban on The economic crisis deepened, with the “all unauthorized protests” in the capital, fiscal deficit forecasted to reach 7.6% by the Tunis, and threatened to file complaints end of the year; unemployment rates had against all demonstrators “who humiliated reached 18.4% by the third quarter of 2021. the police”. In November, the International Monetary After 25 July, security forces responded to Fund resumed technical discussions with the demonstrations in different ways. For authorities that had stopped in July about a instance, they used excessive force against a potential finance programme to overcome the demonstration in Tunis on 1 September economic crisis. calling for the reopening of the investigation In September, the nationwide curfew into the 2013 political assassinations of two imposed in October 2020 to curb Covid-19 opposition politicians, but did not disperse was lifted. protests in support of the president in RIGHT TO HEALTH downtown Tunis on 26 September and 10 October. In March, the government launched its EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF Covid-19 vaccination campaign which FORCE proceeded slowly and unevenly due to lack of vaccines and poor management; only 6% of During protests in January and February, the population had been vaccinated by mid- police used excessive force, including July. While authorities prioritized older people beating peaceful protesters and firing tear and frontline health workers in line with WHO gas canisters recklessly.2 recommendations, they failed to prioritize On 18 January in Sbeitla city, police fired other at-risk groups, notably people with tear gas canisters in residential disabilities, those living in extreme poverty, neighbourhoods, with some landing inside prisoners and people experiencing homes. Haykal Rachdi and Aymen homelessness.1 Mahmoudi were struck on the head by tear In July, the president secured significant gas canisters fired at close range. Haykal vaccine donations from abroad and Rachdi died from his injuries a week later.3 transferred oversight to the military. By the On 8 June, Ahmed Ben Amara died in end of the year, at least 46% of the hospital shortly after his violent arrest by population had been vaccinated. In police in the Sidi Hassine neighbourhood of December, a decree-law mandated vaccine Tunis. His death sparked clashes to which passes for everyone aged 18 and over to the security forces responded using unlawful enter many public spaces, and for Tunisian force, including beatings. The police attacked citizens aged 18 and over to travel abroad. 15-year-old Fedi Harraghi, stripping off his Amnesty International Report 2021/22 368