FREEDOMS OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION On 8 March, police arrested 47 women, four children and at least 12 men at an International Women’s Day training session in Mbini city, southwest of Bata, in the office of the opposition Convergence for Social Democracy party. The police threatened to arrest Epifania Avomo, the party’s executive women’s officer, but when other women protested they were all arrested and taken to Mbini police station. Some of them were beaten at the police station, after which they were all released the same day. In May, taxi drivers’ organizations called for a three-day strike in Malabo to protest at the high prices of permits and papers. Security forces arbitrarily arrested at least 17 people and beat some of those believed to be participating in the strike, leaving several of them in need of medical assistance. They were released without charge about one week later. On 27 May, security forces arbitrarily arrested rapper Benjamín Ndong, also known as “Jamin Dogg”, in Malabo, for releasing two weeks ealier a song supporting the striking taxi drivers and denouncing government intimidation. He was released the same day without charge. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS In June, the NGO Human Rights Watch issued a report highlighting the lack of investment in health and education despite the increase, over two decades, of the per capita GDP which arose mainly from oil revenues. The government continued to focus spending on large infrastructure projects, from which some government officials profited, at the expense of health and education sectors. Pregnant girls continued to be banned from school following a 2016 order issued by the Ministry of Education as a means to reduce adolescent pregnancies. Amnesty International Report 2017/18 DEATH PENALTY Death sentences continued to be handed down. On 16 September Raimundo Nfube Onva and Fausto Luis Nve Adugu were sentenced to death for a ritual killing committed in 2016. ERITREA State of Eritrea Head of state and government: Isaias Afwerki Thousands continued to flee Eritrea while the authorities severely restricted the right to leave the country. Indefinite mandatory national service continued to be imposed. Restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and of religion remained. Arbitrary detention without charge or trial continued to be the norm for thousands of prisoners of conscience. Thousands were denied the right to an adequate standard of living. BACKGROUND Skirmishes broke out between the Eritrean and Ethiopian military periodically. Military hostilities with Djibouti escalated over ownership of the disputed territory of Ras Doumeira. REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS Thousands of Eritreans continued to flee the country. They faced serious human rights abuses while in transit and in destination countries. Sudan remained a key transit for Eritrean refugees. In one case in August, Sudanese courts deported 104 refugees to Eritrea where they were at risk of serious human rights violations. In a context where little is known about the fate of those deported across the border with Sudan, there were reports that 30 of them were deported from Kassala city, eastern Sudan, after being charged with illegal entry. Eritreans also risked arbitrary detention, abduction, sexual abuse and ill-treatment on their way to Europe. 159