Suppression of free speech and human rights abuses have risen under the pandemic

China

Over 17,000 people were ‘investigated’

in 2020 for ‘fabricating and spreading Covid-19-related false information online’

Arbitrary arrest,

detention and

refugee pushbacks

Greece

The right to asylum is coming under increasing attack at Europe’s borders. On the sea border between Turkey and Greece thousands of refugees were illegally pushed back from Greek waters towards Turkish shores

Hong Kong

Authorities cited Covid-19 restrictions to ban pro-democracy gatherings and arrested and fined those ignoring the ban

Cambodia

The Cambodian government passed draconian laws and arbitrarily detained over 60 activists, journalists, and political opposition members in 2020

Banning protests, public assemblies

Algeria

The government invoked the pandemic to ban all street protests, putting an end to a year of mass demonstrations

Countries identified as using the pandemic

to suppress free speech

Hungary

Algeria

Peru

China

Greece

Hong Kong

Uganda

Cambodia

Kenya

Violence

Uganda

Presidential candidate Bobi Wine was arrested by security forces for allegedly breaching Covid-19 restrictions. At least 54 supporters were killed and 45 injured during protests over his detention

Kenya

Police shot and killed

at least 15 people in

the first 9 weeks of

curfew, according to

Kenya’s Independent

Policing Oversight

Authority

Censorship through laws, threats, and blocking reporting

Gender-based violence

Peru

Amid a rise in femicide across the world, 1,423 women have been murdered or reported missing since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic

Hungary

Amended the penal code under state of emergency powers to enable prosecution

for spreading ‘false information’ with a possible prison sentence of up to

five years

China

Over 17,000 people were ‘investigated’

in 2020 for ‘fabricating and spreading Covid-19-related false information online’

Censorship through laws, threats, and blocking reporting

Cambodia

The Cambodian government passed draconian laws and arbitrarily detained over 60 activists, journalists, and political opposition members in 2020

Arbitrary arrest,

detention and

refugee pushbacks

Greece

The right to asylum is coming under increasing attack at Europe’s borders. On the sea border between Turkey and Greece thousands of refugees were illegally pushed back from Greek waters towards Turkish shores

Hungary

Amended the penal code under state of emergency powers to enable prosecution

for spreading ‘false information’ with a possible prison sentence of up to

five years

Hong Kong

Authorities cited Covid-19 restrictions to ban pro-democracy gatherings and arrested those ignoring the ban

Hungary

Greece

China

Algeria

Hong Kong

Cambodia

Uganda

Kenya

Peru

Countries identified as

using the pandemic

to suppress free speech

Banning protests, public assemblies

Gender-based violence

Violence

Uganda

Presidential candidate Bobi Wine was arrested by security forces for allegedly breaching Covid-19 restrictions. At least 54 supporters were killed and 45 injured during protests over his detention

Kenya

Police shot and killed

at least 15 people in

the first 9 weeks of

curfew, according to

Kenya’s Independent

Policing Oversight

Authority

Algeria

The government invoked the pandemic to ban all street protests, putting an end to a year of mass demonstrations

Peru

Amid a rise in femicide across the world, 1,423 women have been murdered or reported missing since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic