COVID-19, between mid-March and late May, there were 11 femicides, compared with six during the same period in 2019, according to data from the Observatory of Gender Equality of Puerto Rico. The government continued to exclude any content related to “gender” from the educational curriculum.
EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE During the island-wide lockdown implemented in an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, there were reports of excessive use of force by the police enforcing lockdown measures, including a verified video in which police appeared to stop an individual on his way to get food and other basic items.1 By October, the police had received more than 3,300 complaints related to alleged violations of Executive Orders issued since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and had arrested more than 1,000 people for alleged breaches.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY The day before the annual 1 May protests, the police announced that protests were prohibited by Executive Order. Following criticism by civil society organizations who alleged this was unconstitutional, the protests went ahead.
RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX (LGBTI) PEOPLE Among the 60 femicides during the year, six of those killed were transgender people, four more than in the previous year, according to the Observatory of Gender Equality of Puerto Rico. In February, the violent killing of Alexa Luciano Ruiz, a transgender woman, provoked a public outcry. According to news reports, the day before her killing the police had intervened after a complaint was made against her for using the women’s bathroom in a fast-food restaurant, photos of which went viral on social media.
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In April, for the first time, federal authorities in Puerto Rico brought charges under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed by former President Obama in 2009, for the killing of two other transgender women, Serena Angelique Velázquez and Layla Peláez Sánchez. 1. Americas: Authorities must protect people from COVID-19 instead of resorting to repressive measures (News, 15 May)
QATAR State of Qatar Head of state: Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Head of government: Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani (replaced Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in January) New laws were passed offering migrant workers better legal protections. Despite government measures to control the spread of COVID-19, migrant workers bore the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. The authorities further tightened restrictions on freedom of expression. Women continued to face discrimination in law and practice. Executions resumed after a 20-year hiatus.
BACKGROUND The Gulf crisis that started in 2017 continued, with ties severed between Qatar and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In January, the Emir appointed Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani as Prime Minister and formed a new cabinet. In March, the government introduced a series of measures to control the spread of COVID-19, including access to free health care, and provided financial support to businesses. The Emir also amended the Prevention of Infectious Diseases Law to increase fines and prison sentences for anyone violating its provisions and established a Health Prosecution Unit dedicated to such prosecutions.
Amnesty International Report 2020/21
