Civil areas had been shrunk further on the excuse of pandemic
While it was emphasized in the report that independent and critical voices were suppressed by governments, stated that the pandemic was used as an excuse to further shrink the civic space. It was also noted that peaceful protests were unnecessarily prevented under the pretext of regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the restrictions clarified to combat COVID-19 were maintained even when the public health situation changed.
The report included the following statements:
Throughout the year, many governments have stepped up their efforts to introduce and/or introduce repressive practices to target those who criticize the government. Many of these implementations have been put forward to prevent the spread of misinformation about COVID-19. Authorities in China, Iran, and elsewhere have arrested and prosecuted people who criticize or oppose COVID19 responses. Especially in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, many governments have blocked or severely restricted access to the internet and social media. In countries such as Eswatini and South Sudan, internet access has been cut to halt planned protests. Attacks against journalists, dissidents, and human rights defenders, including those who defend the rights of women and LGBTI+s, have been a significant part of these interventions in freedom of expression.
Freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration was severely restricted
It was pointed out that the freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration was severely limited, and with new regulations, the association right of civil society organizations was restricted. The report also noted that in 2021, new legislation was drafted and passed restricting the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. According to Amnesty International's monitoring results, legislation restricting freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly was imposed in at least 67 of the 154 countries included in the report during the year, including Cambodia, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United States.
The report also emphasized that in the face of protests in 2021, there is an increasing tendency of governments to approach the civil area with security policies, criminalize peaceful gatherings, militarize police activities, and use national security powers in the face of protest movements and introduce other regulations to prevent protests.
Amnesty International has documented the use of unnecessary and/or excessive force against protesters in at least 85 of the 154 countries it monitors.
“Security forces regularly abused firearms and non-lethal weapons such as tear gas and rubber bullets, unlawfully killing hundreds and wounding many more. In some countries, there was an ongoing trend toward militarization of the state's response to protests. This included the use of forces and military equipment. Judicial authorities, unable to maintain their independence, could not prevent or even facilitate attacks on protesters, human rights defenders, and other dissidents."