people, including at least one child, died of BACKGROUND hypothermia. In July, an international investigative An Iraqi national, Rebin Sirwan, was journalism initiative known as the Pegasus expelled from Belarus after he tried to seek Project revealed that several Belgian citizens asylum in the country. and high-ranking politicians had been RIGHT TO HEALTH targeted by NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. Peter Verlinden, a journalist known for his A continuing shortage of capacity in the work on human rights in Rwanda, and his healthcare sector caused by the pandemic wife were also targeted. was further exacerbated by severe reprisals, including arbitrary dismissals and criminal REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS prosecutions, against medical professionals In January, the federal minister for justice who supported the peaceful protests in 2020 agreed to extradite a man to Ingushetia in the or exposed the ferocity and scale of police Russian Federation, despite a serious risk of violence against protesters.5 torture and other grave human rights Such moves impacted the quality and violations. At the end of the year, the availability of healthcare. In Hrodna, an extradition decision was still pending before a 1 independent children’s hospice funded by court. private donations was shut down in response From late May until 21 July over 400 to its director showing solidarity with post- irregular migrants conducted a hunger strike election protests. demanding better treatment and regularization. On 15 July, the UN Special 1. “Stand with Belarus" campaign, January Rapporteurs on extreme poverty and human rights and on the human rights of migrants 2. “Belarus: Government’s threats and history of crackdown on concluded that the estimated 150,000 protesters require urgent international response”, 24 March irregular migrants in Belgium were exposed 3. “Belarus: Crackdown on children”, January to abuse and discrimination at work in the 4. “Belarus/EU: New evidence of brutal violence from Belarusian forces informal sector, as well as in their access to against asylum seekers and migrants facing pushbacks from the housing, healthcare, education and justice. EU”, 20 December 5. “Belarus: Crackdown on medics”, January Following the visits of the Special Rapporteurs, the government proposed assessing the individual situation of the BELGIUM protesters to determine whether they could obtain residency rights. In November, five of Kingdom of Belgium the former hunger strikers filed a complaint Head of state: Philippe against the Belgian state for not honouring Head of government: Alexander De Croo the commitments made to them. In the first seven months of the year, six Irregular migrants lacked adequate access Afghan nationals were forcibly returned to to housing, health and education. Afghanistan, despite the continued Allegations of racial profiling by police widespread insecurity and high levels of continued. Inhumane prison conditions poverty in the country. After the Taliban persisted. The police used excessive force takeover, no further people were forcibly to disperse peaceful demonstrators. returned to Afghanistan. Belgium adopted an action plan to combat Every day from mid-October until the end of gender-based violence. The Wallonia region December tens of asylum seekers were not continued to authorize arms transfers to provided with access to housing as the parties to the Yemen conflict. A court in numbers exceeded reception capacity. Brussels ruled that the authorities had failed to combat climate change. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 92