former interim president, Jeanine Áñez, was LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS On 30 April, three transgender women were imprisoned. A report published by the forced to undress before being beaten and Interdisciplinary Group of Independent robbed by a group of men in a bar in Experts (GIEI) highlighted the justice Cotonou. The attack was filmed by the system's lack of independence and the assailants who posted the video on social need to repeal an amnesty decree media. The three victims sought refuge with a facilitating impunity for human rights local transgender association and continued violations. Indigenous peoples continued to to receive threats. LGBTI rights associations be harassed and attacked for defending across Benin which supported the three their territory and the environment. The women also received threats. On 30 June, government failed to protect forests. The the Cotonou Court of First Instance country battled with a third wave of the sentenced one of the attackers to 12 months’ Covid-19 pandemic and health workers imprisonment, including a six-month denounced lack of pay and unsafe working suspended sentence, for assault and battery. conditions. RIGHT TO HEALTH IMPUNITY Following the start of the vaccination In February, Supreme Decree 4461 was campaign against the Covid-19 pandemic on approved, granting an amnesty or pardon to 29 March, as of 7 November, 347,270 supporters of the government who were people had received a first vaccine dose and detained for crimes allegedly committed 265,501 were fully vaccinated. This during the political crisis that started in represented 3.64% of the population, October 2019. according to official figures. On 1 September, In August, the GIEI, under the auspices of the government made the vaccination the Inter-American Commission on Human compulsory, notably for medical, paramedical Rights, published its report on human rights and pharmacist staff. violations during the 2019 post-election RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND crisis. The report highlighted serious failings REPARATION on the part of authorities to ensure the autonomy and independence of the judicial On 21 January, the Constitutional Court branch and the Attorney General's Office, as validated the withdrawal of Benin’s well as obstacles to truth, justice and declaration made under Article 34(6) of the reparation for the victims of grave human Protocol to the African Charter on Human rights violations during the post-election and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of crisis. an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Following the release of the GIEI report, Rights, thus preventing NGOs and individuals authorities promised to repeal the amnesty from having direct access to the Court. decree but continued to use the justice system to target political opponents, ignoring BOLIVIA fair trial guarantees. RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL Plurinational State of Bolivia From January to June, authorities and Head of state and government: Luis Alberto Arce members of the ruling political party charged Catacora at least 41 officials of the former interim government, human rights defenders, Dozens of former government officials, lawyers and judges, with vaguely defined lawyers, judges and human rights defenders offences including “terrorism”, “sedition” and were accused of staging a coup in 2019 “conspiracy”. This was part of a wider and charged with vague offences and the Amnesty International Report 2021/22 95