VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS In August, in the days following the murder of a woman by her partner who live-streamed the killing on social media, thousands of people across the country held demonstrations against domestic violence. They demanded criminalization of femicide, harsher penalties for domestic violence and more shelters for victims. The authorities did not keep an official record of cases of femicide. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION The pace of prosecutions for war crimes remained slow. In November, the Council of Ministers extended the original December 2023 deadline for processing the remaining complex war crimes cases until 2025. In May, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals confirmed the original guilty verdicts for former Serbian state security officials Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, increasing their prison sentences from 12 to 15 years for war crimes and crimes against humanity in six municipalities in BiH.1 More than 7,500 people remained missing as a result of the armed conflict. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Heavy reliance on the burning of coal and wood resulted in alarmingly high air pollution, with some cities among the most polluted in the world during the winter months. Despite commitments made under the 2020 Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, the authorities made limited progress on reducing carbon emissions. 1. “Bosnia and Herzegovina: War crimes convictions a historic moment for international justice”, 31 May BOTSWANA Republic of Botswana The State of the World’s Human Rights The right to freedom of expression was restricted. Severe medicine shortages undermined the right to health. Potential advances in the rights of LGBTI people were threatened. Gender-based violence remained prevalent. Botswana continued to use the death penalty. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION During the UN Human Rights Council’s UPR in May, concerns were raised about an increase in measures that repressed peaceful dissent, including the persecution of political opponents and the use of arbitrary detention. Between 12 and 16 July, the Directorate of Intelligence and Security arrested leaders of the Botswana Patriotic Front opposition party Lawrence Ookeditse, Lazarus Lekgoanyana and Dinah Monte, in locations around the capital, Gaborone. Then, on 20 July, they arrested journalists Ryder Gabathuse and Innocent Selatlhwa at the Mmegi newspaper offices in Gaborone. Electronic devices belonging to all five of them were seized and retained. No charges were brought against them, the journalists were released after 24 hours, and two of the opposition leaders were released after several hours. Lawrence Ookeditse was detained for over 48 hours without charge, in contravention of national legislation. RIGHT TO HEALTH A severe shortage of essential medicines in health facilities continued in several districts. The shortage was blamed on various factors, including inadequate funding for the procurement of medicines, delays in overseas deliveries, and corruption and mismanagement in the procurement system. In August, nurses went on strike over pay and refused to dispense medication after negotiations with the government reached a deadlock, compounding the crisis. DISCRIMINATION LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS On 22 July, hundreds of protesters, backed by various religious groups, took to the streets of Gaborone to oppose a bill to legalize 103