contracting Covid-19, and the deaths of two doctors from the disease during January. GREECE In March, Covid-19 vaccinations began for people at risk and essential workers, with Hellenic Republic drones being used to deliver vaccines to rural Head of state: Katerina Sakellaropoulou communities. On 7 May, the vice president, Head of government: Kyriakos Mitsotakis Mahamudu Bawumia, stated that 2,161 prison officers and 1,136 inmates with Reports of unlawful use of force against underlying health conditions had been peaceful protesters persisted. A Roma man vaccinated. By mid-December, less than was fatally shot during a police chase. 10% of the population were fully vaccinated. Pushbacks and human rights abuses FORCED EVICTIONS against refugees and migrants continued, despite systematic denials by the The Greater Accra Regional Minister’s “Let’s authorities. The authorities’ crackdown Make Accra Work” campaign involved against NGOs and those working to help demolishing illegal structures. As part of the refugees continued. Violations of the rights campaign, on 5 July, authorities demolished of conscientious objectors to military homes of people living in the Railway service persisted. As violence against Quarters along Graphic Road in Accra, women escalated, a controversial child- making them homeless. Former residents custody bill that would put victims of told the media they were not given adequate domestic violence in greater danger was notice. In the same month, about 3,000 passed by parliament. woodworkers at Kaase-Angola in the Asokwa BACKGROUND Municipality, who had been operating in the area for decades, were requested to vacate Greece faced an ecological disaster after the area after the government allegedly sold wildfires destroyed over 900,000 hectares of the land to a private company. The forest and farmland. woodworkers stated that it would deprive TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT them of an adequate place to work, affecting their livelihood. Reports of unnecessary and excessive use of ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION force by the police against peaceful protesters and others persisted. In March, In February, three global manufacturing footage showing the unlawful use of force companies expressed concern over the against a young man by a police officer impact of bauxite mining on the people and during a Covid-19 document check caused wildlife of the Atewa forest, and stated that public outrage and prompted many they would not use this supply chain. demonstrations. A disciplinary inquiry was In May, the defence minister announced ordered and a police officer was suspended that 561 military officers had been deployed from his duties while an Athens prosecutor during a four-day operation on the Birim, ordered a criminal investigation. Two Offin and Oda rivers of the Eastern and protesters who participated in one of the Ashanti Regions as part of Operation Halt to demonstrations in March reported being counter illegal mining which was polluting tortured by police in the General Attika Police water bodies. On 27 May, the government Directorate during their questioning and filed announced another deployment of 401 a criminal complaint. military officers to halt operations on the river In April, an Athens court found police Ankobra. responsible for the life-threatening injuries sustained by protester Yiannis Kafkas in May 2011 and awarded him compensation. In Amnesty International Report 2021/22 178