COI Update Vol. 203 15 October 2019

2

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 31 September and 14 October 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

Iran

UK Home Office, Country Policy and Information Note, Iran: Adulterers, 4 October 2019

Iraq

UK Home Office, Country Policy and Information Note, Iraq: Religious minorities, 8 October 2019

Country News and Publications

Global

International Crisis Group op-ed, The Unwanted Wars, 2 October 2019

International Crisis Group commentary, CrisisWatch 2019: A Global Overview of September Trends

and October Alerts, 1 October 2019

Afghanistan

OHCHR press release, UN Report find alleged drug facilities were not lawful targets - airtrikes caused

significant civilian casualties, 9 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Afghanistan: Little Help for Conflict-Linked Trauma, 7 October 2019

Radio Free Europe, Ten Killed In Blast In Eastern Afghanistan, 7 October 2019

International Crisis Group briefing, Getting the Afghanistan Peace Process Back on Track, 2 October

2019

International Crisis Group Q&A, Afghanistan’s Low-turnout Election, Insecurity and Unsettled

Prospects for Peace, 2 October 2019

Bangladesh

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Bangladesh Ruling Party Activists Kill Student after Facebook Post,

10 October 2019

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The New Humanitarian, Can floating gardens help Bangladesh’s farmers withstand climate threats?,

3 October 2019

Burma/Myanmar

Amnesty International campaigns, Myanmar: Early Release For Former Child Soldier: Aung Ko Htwe,

9 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Myanmar: Rohingya Jailed for Traveling, 8 October 2019

Cameroon

Human Rights Watch dispatches, World Heritage Site Attacked in Cameroon, 11 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Cameroon: Political Opponent Freed, 7 October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, RSF refers Cameroonian journalist’s detention to African special

rapporteurs, 7 October 2019

International Crisis Group video, Video - Cameroon's Anglophone Dialogue: A Work in Progress, 4

October 2019

China

Radio Free Asia, Tiananmen Liquor Seller, Family Forced Out of Home in China's Sichuan, 11 October

2019

Radio Free Asia, China Detains Activists Over Criticism of The Ruling Communist Party, 3 October

2019

China-Tibet

Radio Free Asia, Tibetan Monk Arrested by Chinese Police Last Month Remains Missing, 4 October

2019

Radio Free Asia, Yachen Gar Demolition Has Displaced As Many as 6,000 Monks and Nuns, 1 October

2019

China-Xinjiang

Amnesty International action, Help us find Yiliyasijiang Reheman, 14 October 2019

Radio Free Asia, Uyghur Language School Co-Founder Detained in Xinjiang Internment Camp, 7

October 2019

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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The New Humanitarian, In Congo, a ‘militarised’ Ebola response has fuelled community resistance, 2

October 2019

Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General of the UN: Implementation of the Peace, Security

and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region, 1 October

2019

Egypt

Amnesty International action, Where is Ibrahim Ezz El-Din?, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International news, Egypt: Convictions of two men disappeared and tortured as children

‘shameful’, 12 October 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Egypt: Prominent Activist And His Lawyer Detained: Alaa Abdel

Fattah And Mohamed El-Baqer, 11 October 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Egypt: Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Detained: Mahienour El-

Masry, 9 October 2019

International Federation for Human Rights urgent appeal, Egypt: Ongoing arbitrary detention and

judicial harassment of Asmaa Dabees and her family members, 4 October 2019

Ethiopia

Amnesty International news, Ethiopia: Nobel Peace Prize must spur Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

towards further human rights reform, 11 October 2019

India

Reporters Without Borders, Two Indian journalists beaten while probing suspected school scam, 8

October 2019

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Restrictions, Detentions Persist in Kashmir, 7 October 2019

Iran

Amnesty International action, Help release Yasaman from prison, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International campaigns, Iran: Further Information: Women’s Rights Defender At Risk Of

Torture, 10 October 2019

Amnesty International news, Iran: Limited allocation of football tickets for women a ‘cynical publicity

stunt’, 9 October 2019

Human Rights Watch report, Problems with education for children with disabilities in Iran, 9 October

2019

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Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for release of Russian journalist held in Iran, 8 October 2019

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Reforms Will Grant Nationality to Children of Iranian Women, 3

October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Relatives of Iranian journalists taken hostage in Iran, 3 October 2019

Iraq

International Crisis Group report, Averting an ISIS Resurgence in Iraq and Syria, 11 October 2019

Amnesty International research, Iraq: Freedom of Speech and Assembly under Attack as over 100

Killed, Thousands Injured and Hundreds Arrested, 10 October 2019

International Crisis Group commentary, Widespread Protests Point to Iraq’s Cycle of Social Crisis, 10

October 2019

UNHCR news story, Citizenship hopes become reality for Iraq’s Bidoon minority, 10 October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Attacks on at least three Baghdad TV stations, 8 October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Iraqi security forces attack reporters covering protests, 4 October 2019

Liberia

Reporters Without Borders, Liberian radio station closed, another attacked by protesters, 14 October

2019

Human Rights Watch news, Liberia Stakeholder Report for the United Nations Universal Periodic

Review Regarding Impunity for Past Human Rights Violations, 3 October 2019

Mali

Human Rights Watch news, Mali: Detainee Restraints Causing Grievous Injuries, 2 October 2019

UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General of the UN: Situation in Mali, 1 October 2019

Malawi

OHCHR press release, Press briefing note on Malawi, 11 October 2019

Morocco

Amnesty International news, Moroccan human rights defenders targeted using malicious NSO Israeli

spyware, 10 October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Moroccan prosecutor seeks 20-year jail term for journalist on appeal, 10

October 2019

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Reporters Without Borders, Moroccan reporter gets one year in jail on sex charges, 1 October 2019

Nigeria

Amnesty International action, Join Nasu’s call to end enforced evictions, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International research, Nigeria: Endangered Voices: Attack On Freedom Of Expression In

Nigeria, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International news, Nigeria/Netherlands: Kiobel witness hearing key chance to hold Shell to

account over human rights abuses, 8 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Nigeria: Army Frees 25 Child Suspects After Abuse Reports, 4 October

2019

North Korea

Radio Free Asia, North Korean Authorities Crack Down on 'Anti-Socialist' Fashion, 2 October 2019

Pakistan

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Pakistan Could Make Torture A Crime, 10 October 2019

International Federation for Human Rights report, Pakistan: Poor and marginalized suffer

disproportionately from capital punishment, 8 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Pakistan: End Ordeal for ‘Blasphemy’ Defendants, 6 October 2019

South Sudan

Amnesty International news, OPED: South Sudan Government a stumbling block to justice for victims

of crimes against humanity, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International action, Help free Magai from death row, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International research, South Sudan: Execution Spree Continues As Four People Hanged In

September, 10 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, South Sudan/AU: Set Meeting on War Crimes Court, 9 October 2019

The New Humanitarian, Peace may bring freedom to South Sudan’s child soldiers, but not the help

they need, 9 October 2019

Amnesty International news, South Sudan: Crippled justice system and blanket amnesties fuelling

impunity for war crimes, 7 October 2019

Sudan

UNICEF statement, Vaccination campaign against cholera kicks off in Sudan, 11 October 2019

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Syria

Amnesty International news, Syria: Turkish military offensive risks a humanitarian catastrophe, 11

October 2019

International Crisis Group report, Averting an ISIS Resurgence in Iraq and Syria, 11 October 2019

OHCHR press release, UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria: A new wave of violence is the last thing

Syrians need, 10 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Northeast Syria: Boys, Men Held in Inhumane Conditions, 8 October 2019

Turkey

Reporters Without Borders, Turkey poised to expel Syrian reporter working for Saudi TV channel, 14

October 2019

Amnesty International news, Turkey: Judicial farce must end with acquittal of human rights

defenders, 8 October 2019

Uganda

Human Rights Watch dispatches, Uganda Tightens Clampdown on Media, 14 October 2019

Amnesty International news, Uganda: Parliament must reject bill imposing death penalty for gay sex,

11 October 2019

Ukraine

International Crisis Group statement, A Possible Step Toward Peace in Eastern Ukraine, 9 October

2019

Vietnam

Radio Free Asia, Jailed Vietnamese Environmental Activist in Solitary After Cellmate Beat Him

Unconscious, 11 October 2019

Radio Free Asia, Lawyer for Jailed RFA Blogger ‘Not Surprised’ by ‘Obstacles’ Set Up by Vietnamese

Authorities, 9 October 2019

Human Rights Watch news, Vietnam: New Arrest for Facebook Postings, 7 October 2019

Reporters Without Borders, Vietnamese reporter beaten unconscious for investigating illegal

logging, 2 October 2019

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Yemen

The New Humanitarian, Roundup: Yemen’s war rattles on, a year after Khashoggi killing, 4 October

2019

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