husbands, sons or other male relatives were associated with the Tigrayan forces. Local civil society organizations and media reported multiple cases of abduction for forced marriage. The abduction of Tsega Belachew, an accountant in a bank, was among those cases that received national attention, including on social media. She was abducted on 23 May by a bodyguard of the mayor of Hawassa in the Sidama region and held for nine days before being released. LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS An on- and offline campaign against LGBTI people was launched by social media influencers, religious leaders and popular artists. It culminated in early August with the authorities in the capital, Addis Ababa, raiding hotels, bars and entertainment centres they alleged were allowing “gay sexual activities” to take place. LGBTI people in Addis Ababa reported beatings after social media posts identifying them were circulated. LGBTI rights defenders accused social media platforms, particularly TikTok, of failing to act against content that incited violence against people based on their sexuality or gender identity. Consensual same-sex sexual relations continued to be criminalized and to carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY The communication blackout, imposed by the federal authorities in the Western Tigray Zone, persisted for a third year. On 3 August, as a result of the clashes in the Amhara region, the authorities suspended internet access there, while some parts of the region faced a complete communication blackout. This continued to the end of the year. On 9 February, following tensions caused by a disagreement within Ethiopia’s orthodox church, at least 30 protesters were killed by security forces in the city of Shashamane in the Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. At the same time, the authorities banned members of church factions involved in the disagreement 168 from holding rallies and restricted access to social media until 17 July. IMPUNITY The government continued to fail to investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of crimes under international law in open proceedings. Following a campaign by the Ethiopian government against justice and accountability efforts, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights terminated the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry into the situation in the Tigray Region in May. The Commission of Inquiry never published a report on its findings or communicated the fate of the evidence it gathered to victims, survivors or the public. The government tried to garner support to prematurely terminate the mandate of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) in March. In September, however, the ICHREE published its report which concluded, among other things, that “the current situation across [Ethiopia]… continues to bear hallmarked risks of future atrocity crimes”. Despite the report’s findings, member states at the UN Human Rights Council failed to table a resolution to renew the ICHREE’s mandate. Meanwhile, the government held consultations on a policy proposal for transitional justice, a process that focuses on reconciliation rather than justice and accountability for the victims and survivors. 1. Ethiopia: “Today or Tomorrow, They Should Be Brought Before Justice”: Rape, Sexual Slavery, Extrajudicial Executions, and Pillage by Eritrean Defence Forces, 4 September FIJI Republic of Fiji A law restricting the media was repealed but other legislation limiting the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remained. Women were underrepresented in public office although legal The State of the World’s Human Rights