RIGHT TO HEALTH September, the European Parliament asked The Covid-19 pandemic put immense the EC to address Romania’s failure to pressure on an already underfunded and comply with a 2018 CJEU decision on the overstretched health system. In March 2021, need to harmonize national legislation to healthcare workers held demonstrations guarantee freedom of movement and calling for an increased health budget, better residence for same-sex couples. protection from Covid-19, increased wages TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT and lower retirement ages. By end of the year, 40% of the population In March, authorities closed an investigation had been fully vaccinated and vaccine into Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri’s unlawful uptake had plateaued. Romania registered rendition, secret detention and torture at a the highest rate of mortality due to Covid-19 CIA black site in Romania. In 2018, the in the region and one of the highest in the ECtHR had found that Romania hosted the world. secret facility and was complicit in Abd al- Rahim al-Nashiri's torture and enforced REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS disappearance. Authorities continued in their In October, an investigation by Lighthouse refusal to acknowledge complicity or Reports exposed how authorities in Romania recognize the ECtHR judgment. Abd al- – as well as in other EU countries – had Rahim Al-Nashiri remained detained in violently rounded up migrants and asylum Guantánamo Bay without trial and at risk of seekers and summarily returned them to facing the death penalty. countries outside the EU. DISCRIMINATION RUSSIA ROMA RIGHTS In January, a new law criminalizing hate Russian Federation crimes against Roma came into force. Roma Head of state: Vladimir Putin continued to experience harassment, in both Head of government: Mikhail Mishustin online and public spheres, and to face discrimination, including segregation, in The Covid-19 pandemic continued to education, housing and employment. exacerbate the dire state of healthcare LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS services. The rights to freedom of LGBTI people continued to face systemic expression, association and peaceful discrimination. In January, the European assembly were routinely violated. Public Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that assemblies organized by the political Romania violated the rights of two opposition were almost completely transgender people by refusing to recognize prohibited. Legislation on “foreign agents” their identities, on the basis that they had not and “undesirable organizations”, together undergone gender reassignment surgery. It with prosecutions on trumped-up charges considered that the legal framework was not and other forms of pressure, were widely clear and consistent in this area. used to suppress dissent. Threats and In June, the ECtHR ruled that authorities attacks against journalists, human rights had failed in their duty to protect individuals defenders and other activists were from far-right militants who stormed an perpetrated with impunity. Persecution of LGBTI film screening in October 2013 Jehovah’s Witnesses intensified. Torture and shouting threats and homophobic abuse. other ill-treatment in places of detention In July, NGOs raised concerns that remained endemic and prosecutions of politicians intended to propose anti-LGBTI perpetrators rare. Enforced disappearances legislation. Same-sex marriage and were reported in Chechnya. The authorities partnership remained unrecognized. In failed to address domestic violence. LGBTI Amnesty International Report 2021/22 309