VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS 6. “Russian Federation: Prosecution of human rights defender must In August, a study by the Women’s NGOs’ stop” 14 July (EUR 46/4469/2021) Consortium found that 66% of women murdered from 2011 to 2019 had been RWANDA victims of domestic violence. Significant efforts to address the issue were absent, with the draft law on domestic violence, stalled Republic of Rwanda from previous years, still failing to make the Head of state: Paul Kagame parliamentary agenda. The situation of Head of government: Édouard Ngirente survivors continued to be exacerbated by pandemic-related restrictive measures. The authorities took measures to respond to In September, the ECtHR ruled in Volodina v the Covid-19 pandemic and to promote the Russia No. 2 that the authorities had failed to right to health. Ten girls and women were protect the applicant from cyberviolence, and pardoned for abortion-related offences. to effectively investigate and bring the Violations of the rights to a fair trial, perpetrator to justice. The Court concluded freedom of expression and privacy that the ensuing impunity “was enough to continued, alongside enforced shed doubt on the ability of the State disappearances, allegations of torture and machinery to produce a sufficiently deterrent excessive use of force. People suspected of effect to protect women from cyberviolence”. genocide were prosecuted and convicted. LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS BACKGROUND Discrimination against LGBTI people The Ministry of National Unity and Civic remained widespread, spearheaded by the Engagement was created in July, replacing homophobic “gay propaganda” legislation. the Genocide Survivors Support and Assistance Fund, the National Commission REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS for the Fight against the Genocide, the Refugees and asylum seekers continued to National Unity and Reconciliation face refoulement. Commission and the National Itorero In September, Valentina Chupik, a refugee Commission. from Uzbekistan and a human rights Also in July, armed forces were deployed to defender working on migrants’ rights, was Mozambique to fight an armed group known detained in Sheremetyevo airport transit zone locally as “Al-Shabaab”. With Mozambican on returning to Russia, stripped of her forces, they regained several key towns in the refugee status, banned from entering the north-eastern Cabo Delgado province. country for 30 years and faced a forcible RIGHT TO HEALTH return to Uzbekistan. Only following a widespread outcry, was she allowed to leave The government continued to impose for Armenia in October. restrictions to reduce the spread of Covid-19, including a nationwide curfew, mass testing, 1. Russia: No Place for Protest (Index: EUR 46/4328/2021), 12 August and localized lockdowns in January, February and July in Kigali and other districts. Rwanda 2. “Russia: Human rights crisis deepens as Navalny supporters arrested was one of only 15 African countries to meet en masse” 22 April the global goal of 10% vaccination by the end 3. “Russia: Detention of Navalny associate on ‘extremism’ charges a of September. By December, 40% of the forewarning of mass reprisals”, 11 November 4. Russian Federation: Assaulted Peaceful Protester Denied Justice: country’s population was fully vaccinated. Margarita Yudina (Index: EUR 46/3695/2021), 12 February SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 5. “Russia: Prisoner of conscience Anastasia Shevchenko convicted, In July, President Kagame pardoned 10 girls given suspended prison sentence” 18 February and women serving prison sentences for Amnesty International Report 2021/22 314