COI Update Vol. 199 23 July 2019

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This document provides an update of UK Country Guidance case law, UK Home Office publications

and developments in refugee producing countries (focusing on those which generate the most

asylum seekers in the UK) between 9 July and 22 July 2019.

Ctrl + click the hyperlinked text to access the documents

Legal Update

No UK Country Guidance cases were promulgated in the reporting period.

UK Home Office Publications Update

Afghanistan

UK Home Office, Country Policy and Information Note, Afghanistan: security and humanitarian

situation, 15 July 2019

Country News and Publications

Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch news, Afghanistan: Special Forces Raid Medical Clinic, 12 July 2019

Amnesty International article, Afghanistan: Taliban bombings chillingly disregard human life, 9 July

2019

Amnesty International research, Afghanistan: The Government Must Immediately Appoint the

Commissioners of the AIHRC, 9 July 2019

Algeria

Human Rights Watch news, Algeria/Western Sahara: Three Dissidents Behind Bars, 16 July 2019

Bangladesh

The New Humanitarian, Health concerns rise as Bangladesh floodwaters linger, 22 July 2019

Human Rights Watch commentary, Bangladesh’s draconian Internet law treats peaceful critics as

criminals, 19 July 2019

OHCHR press release, UN Committee Against Torture to review Bangladesh, 18 July 2019

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Burma/Myanmar

Radio Free Asia, Arakan Army Shows Captive Civilian in Video to Contrast With Myanmar Army

Practices, 15 July 2019

Cameroon

Human Rights Watch news, Cameroon: Security Forces Kill Civilians, Rape Woman, 22 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Cameroonian journalist still held in stalled defamation case, 11 July 2019

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Kidnappings Endemic in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions, 11 July

2019

China

Radio Free Asia, China's State Security Police Put Australian Writer in Detention Center, 19 July 2019

Radio Free Asia, Chinese Court Rejects Appeal by Veteran Activist of Subversion Sentence, 16 July

2019

Human Rights Watch news, China: Account for Activist’s Death, 10 July 2019

China-Tibet

Radio Free Asia, Thousands More Expelled From Sichuan’s Yachen Gar Buddhist Center, 18 July 2019

Radio Free Asia, Tibetan Nuns Beaten by Chinese Guards For ‘Weeping’ in Detention, 11 July 2019

China-Xinjiang

Human Rights Watch commentary, Keep Pressure on China Over Abuse of Turkic Muslims, 19 July

2019

Amnesty International campaigns, China: Further Information: Uyghur Activist’s 30 Relatives Still

Detained, 15 July 2019

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

OHCHR press release, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women examines the

situation of women's rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9 July 2019

The New Humanitarian, Machete attacks and forest escapes, as conflict returns to Congo’s troubled

Ituri, 9 July 2019

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Egypt

Amnesty International research, Egypt: Arbitrary and Excessive Use of Probation Measures against

Peaceful Activists and Individuals Convicted after Unfair Trials, 22 July 2019

Amnesty International news, Egypt: Amendments to repressive NGO law little more than token

‘cosmetic’ changes, 16 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Egypt: Further Information: Arbitrarily Detained Couple Remains

Held: Ola Al-Qaradawi And Hossam Khalaf, 11 July 2019

Amnesty International news, Egypt: Detainees trapped in ‘revolving doors’ of prison system as

authorities bypass release orders, 10 July 2019

Ethiopia

Reporters Without Borders, Don’t reverse course on press freedom, RSF urges Ethiopia, 22 July 2019

International Crisis Group commentary, Preventing Further Conflict and Fragmentation in Ethiopia,

19 July 2019

Amnesty International news, Ethiopia: New journalist arrests put press freedom gains at risk, 9 July

2019

India

Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for release of Indian woman journalist held by Hyderabad

police, 16 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, After more than 60 Internet cuts so far this year, India urged to overhaul

legislation, 9 July 2019

Iran

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Another Dual National Arrested in Iran, 18 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Iran: Further Information: Jailed Journalists On Hunger Strike, 17

July 2019

Amnesty International news, Iran: Cruel campaign to extract propaganda ‘confessions’ from

protesters against compulsory veiling, 15 July 2019

Iraq

Human Rights Watch report, Basra is Thirsty: Iraq’s Failure to Manage the Water Crisis, 22 July 2019

The New Humanitarian, Briefing: For many Iraqis, post-war life remains a struggle, 22 July 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Iraq: Preparations to Confine Families in Camp, 20 July 2019

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Reporters Without Borders, Reporter badly beaten while covering Turkish diplomat’s murder in Erbil,

19 July 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Iraq: Military Enter Camp, Occupy School for ‘Screening’, 18 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Another Iraqi journalist threatened, 9 July 2019

Kenya

Human Rights Watch news, Kenya Should Address Unlawful Killings by Police, 18 July 2019

Kuwait

Human Rights Watch news, Kuwait: Activists Arrested for Peaceful Sit-In, 19 July 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Kuwait: 8 Egyptian Dissidents Unlawfully Returned, 15 July 2019

Libya

International Crisis Group commentary, Avoiding a Protracted Conflict in Libya, 22 July 2019

The New Humanitarian, Briefing: The outlook for Libya’s migrant detention centres, 17 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, LIBYA : eleven TV channels banned in eastern Libya, 17 July 2019

Amnesty International news, European Union/Libya: Act Now to Save Lives, 12 July 2019

Mali

Reporters Without Borders, Questions raised about role of French forces during journalists’ deaths in

Mali, 22 July 2019

Malawi

Amnesty International news, Malawi: Civil society leaders targeted in post-election clampdown, 10

July 2019

North Korea

Radio Free Asia, North Korean Authorities Arrest Seven Teenagers for Watching South Korean

Movies, 19 July 2019

Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs)

Amnesty International news, Israel continues policy of systematic forced displacement with wave of

home demolitions in Sur Baher, 22 July 2019

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Pakistan

Radio Free Europe, Twin Attacks In Pakistan Kill At Least Eight, 21 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Media Ownership Monitor: Pakistan a high-risk country in terms of

media pluralism, 18 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Three Pakistani TV news channels suddenly taken off the air, 9 July 2019

Somalia

The New Humanitarian, Somalia’s displacement camp ‘gatekeepers’ – ‘parasites’ or aid partners?, 18

July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Two journalists killed in Al-Shabaab attack in southern Somalia, 15 July

2019

International Crisis Group report, Somalia-Somaliland: The Perils of Delaying New Talks, 12 July 2019

South Sudan

Human Rights Watch news, South Sudan: Free Detained Editor, 19 July 2019

Amnesty International news, South Sudan: Authorities crackdown on critics in cross-border campaign

of intimidation, 18 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, South Sudan: Detained Youth Activist Denied Family Visits:

Michael Wetnhialic, 10 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, South Sudan: Security Agent Ill-Treated In Detention: Ding Ding

Mou, 10 July 2019

Sri Lanka

OHCHR press release, Sri Lanka: UN expert to assess rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of

association, 16 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Sri Lanka: Further Information: Supreme Court Suspends All

Execution Warrants, 9 July 2019

Sudan

Human Rights Watch news, Sudan: Put Justice Up Front, 9 July 2019

Syria

Human Rights Watch news, Syria: Suspects’ Families Assets Seized, 16 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Harassment of pro-government journalists growing in Syria, 15 July 2019

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Human Rights Watch news, Syria: US Coalition Should Address Civilian Harm, 9 July 2019

Turkey

Amnesty International news, Turkey: "So much space in this courtroom yet so little room for justice”,

22 July 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Erol Önderoğlu acquitted at one trial, but another due soon, 17 July 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Turkey: Further Information: Authorities Unlawfully Restrict Pride

Marches, 16 July 2016

Ukraine

Radio Free Europe, Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed On First Day Of Brokered Cease-Fire, 22 July 2019

Vietnam

Radio Free Asia, Vietnamese Lawyers Petition Government Leaders in Case of Abducted RFA Blogger,

19 July 2019

Radio Free Asia, Family Members, Activists Beaten by ‘Thugs’ During Vietnam Prison Visit, 12 July

2019

Yemen

Amnesty International campaigns, Yemen: Further Information: 30 Opposition Figures Sentenced To

Death, 16 July 2019

The New Humanitarian, In Taiz, some Yemenis choose war – and home – over displacement, 16 July

2019

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Sources consulted: Amnesty International; Human Rights Watch; Institute for War and Peace

Reporting; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC); European Asylum Support Office (EASO);

International Crisis Group; International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH); International

Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR); The New Humanitarian (formerly ‘IRIN’); Radio Free Asia, Radio

Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Reporters Without Borders; UN Agencies, Committees, Special

Rapporteurs and news.

Sources to consult for annual reports: Amnesty International; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch;

U.S. Department of State

Useful COI databases for case-specific country research (non-exhaustive):

o Asylos’s research notes [Subscription only] o COI Forum [Subscription only] o EASO COI Portal *European Asylum Support Office’s portal+ o Electronic Immigration Network [Subscription only] o ECOI.net [European Country of Origin Information Network] o Refworld *UNHCR’s portal+ o ReliefWeb