conferences to remember the 1972 massacres, risking pre-empting the TRC’s CAMBODIA conclusions. In July, the President of the National Kingdom of Cambodia Assembly made threatening public remarks Head of state: Norodom Sihamoni about magistrates and undermined the Head of government: Hun Sen independence of the judiciary. The same month, the Governor of Bujumbura province New laws on internet use and in response to proposed regular meetings between the the Covid-19 pandemic further extended judiciary and his office to deliberate on restrictions on civil and political rights. justice-related complaints brought by Contraventions of Covid-19 regulations and residents. In August, President Ndayishimiye criticism of the government were met with spoke out about allegations of corruption arrest and imprisonment. Members of the among judges but took no action to prevent banned opposition party were sentenced to political interference in the justice system. lengthy prison sentences after unfair mass The ICC continued its investigation into the trials. Environmental activists were Burundi situation (despite Burundi’s especially targeted and Indigenous peoples withdrawal from the Rome Statute), with a barred from conservation efforts. Severely focus on “[a]lleged crimes against humanity overcrowded prisons and drug detention committed in Burundi or by nationals of centres undermined the right to health of Burundi outside Burundi since 26 April 2015 detainees. until 26 October 2017”. BACKGROUND REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS A government crackdown on independent Between January and September, around 36 media, civil society organizations and political Burundians were reported to have arrived in opposition that began in 2017 continued neighbouring countries as asylum seekers. throughout 2021. The largest opposition The numbers leaving Burundi had reduced party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party dramatically from March 2020 because of (CNRP), remained banned following its court- Covid-19 restrictions on movement and some ordered dissolution in 2017. The border restrictions remained in place in government’s anti-drug campaign entered its 2021. fifth year. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, supported FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION more than 60,000 people in their return to Burundi up to the end of October. In June, On 16 February, Hun Sen signed into law the Burundi’s Conference of Catholic Bishops Sub-Decree on the Establishment of a raised concerns about returnees not being National Internet Gateway which undermined well received in certain areas and being the right to privacy and encouraged self- intimidated by those who were supposed to censorship. The regulation required all support them to reintegrate into society. internet traffic to pass through a centralized oversight body charged with monitoring 1. Burundi: Genuine Reopening of Civic Space Requires Accountability online activity and internet service providers (Index: AFR 16/3806/2021), 11 March to verify the identities of internet users. It also 2. “Burundi: Release of Germain Rukuki a victory for human rights”, 1 allowed for network connections “that affect July; “Burundi: Germain Rukuki’s prison sentence cut from 32 years safety, national revenue, social order, dignity, to one”, 22 June culture, tradition and customs” to be blocked 3. Burundi: Lawyer Gets 5-Year Prison Sentence: Tony Germain Nkina or disconnected. (Index: AFR 16/4636/2021), 20 August Authorities continued to use the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext to restrict freedom of expression. In early March, Shen Kaidong, a Amnesty International Report 2021/22 111