rate remained high, at nearly 16 per 100,000 inhabitants during the first half of the year. The media reported allegations of the repeated use of unnecessary and excessive force by the police during social protests. REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS The authorities remained unable to process most of the cases of irregular migrants that they received during the National Regularization Plan for Foreigners with Irregular Migration Status that operated between 2014 and 2015. As a result, in July the authorities renewed for a further year the temporary “regularization carnets” issued to registered individuals, allowing them to stay in the country. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The Dominican Republic remained one of the few countries worldwide that criminalized abortion without exception. In May the Senate voted against a proposal, supported by President Medina, to decriminalize abortion.2 On 11 July the Senate’s vote was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies, providing the possibility of future reforms that would protect the rights of women and girls.3 In August, a petition was presented to the IACHR seeking justice and reparation for the death in 2012 of 16-year-old Rosaura Almonte Hernández, publicly known as “Esperancita”. Because of the country’s restrictive legislation on abortion, Rosaura Almonte Hernández, who was seven weeks pregnant, was denied life-saving treatment for leukaemia for several days and died shortly after. An investigation published in August by the NGO Women’s Link Worldwide found that one woman died every two days in the Dominican Republic during the first half of 2017 from pregnancy-related causes due to the lack of access to quality maternal health services. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS According to official statistics, the first half of the year saw a 21% increase in the number 150 of killings of women and girls, compared with the same period in 2016. RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX PEOPLE The Dominican Republic continued to lack legislation to combat hate crimes. In June, the body of a transgender woman, Rubi Mori, was found dismembered in wasteland.4 By the end of the year, no one had been brought to justice for her killing. 1. Dominican Republic: What does it take to solve a statelessness crisis? (News story, 23 May) 2. Dominican Republic: Vote against decriminalization of abortion, a betrayal to women (Press release, 1 June) 3. República Dominicana: Amnistía Internacional y Oxfam llaman a Cámara de Diputados a garantizar derechos de las mujeres (AMR 27/6605/2017); Dominican Republic: Further information - Congress rejects regressive abortion reform (AMR 27/6724/2017); Dominican Republic: Further information: Abortion vote pending after President’s veto (AMR 27/5478/2017) 4. Dominican Republic: Horrifying killing of transgender woman highlights need for protection against discrimination (News story, 6 June) ECUADOR Republic of Ecuador Head of state and government: Lenín Boltaire Moreno Garcés (replaced Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado in May) Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders and staff of NGOs faced persecution and harassment amid continuing restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and association. The right to free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples continued to be restricted. The Bill to Prevent and Eliminate Violence against Women was pending revision by the National Assembly. BACKGROUND On 24 May, Lenín Moreno Garcés became President. Shortly afterwards he called for a referendum and a popular consultation, to be held in February 2018, for Ecuadorians to decide on matters including the amendment Amnesty International Report 2017/18