state officials that incited harassment and attacks on the reputation of individuals and organizations, and the spread of misinformation through digital platforms to discredit and intimidate critical and dissident voices. This campaign of harassment affected the integrity, security, and personal well-being of human rights defenders and journalists, and limited their freedom of expression and association. The state of emergency was used to criminalize human rights defenders by misusing anti-gang laws to justify their arbitrary detention. Most of these cases involved people defending land, territory and natural resources, and labour rights. International human rights mechanisms criticized the state for its lack of clarity and investigation concerning these detentions, as well as the absence of due process guarantees. RIGHT TO INFORMATION There was a lack of transparency and severe restrictions on access to public information, and El Salvador was excluded from the Open Government Partnership. The government hindered access to essential data by imposing systematic restrictions on information and excessive requirements for providing data. Government departments such as the Bureau of Prisons and the Ministry of National Defence failed to meet international standards on requirements to restrict access to security information. The Legislative Assembly expedited legislative processes, restricting public participation in discussions around new laws, which limited transparency. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The total ban on abortion, which led to women facing imprisonment for charges relating to obstetric emergencies, remained in force, violating sexual and reproductive rights. Due to the ban, at the end of 2023 at least 21 women were facing legal proceedings on charges relating to obstetric emergencies. 162 RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION Authorities continued to fail to adopt adequate legislation to guarantee the rights of the victims of crimes under international law committed during the civil war between 1980 and 1992. There was little progress in the investigation and prosecution of individuals suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes committed during the armed conflict. 1. “El Salvador: One year into state of emergency, authorities are systematically committing human rights violations”, 3 April 2. “El Salvador: Policies, practices, and abusive, arbitrary legislation violate human rights and threaten civic space”, 5 December EQUATORIAL GUINEA Republic of Equatorial Guinea The right to freedom of expression continued to be restricted. The year was marked by a military trial of opposition activists, arbitrary detentions and several allegations of torture and other illtreatment, including at least one allegation that torture led to death in custody. LGBTI people continued to be persecuted. BACKGROUND On 31 January, Manuela Roka Botey was appointed by the president to serve as Equatorial Guinea’s first woman prime minister. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo had been re-elected for a sixth term in office in November 2022 with 95% of the votes, according to the national electoral commission. According to the World Bank, food prices and the rate of food insecurity, particularly among the rural population, remained high. Due to the country’s over-reliance on imports for food consumption (80%), food price increases were fuelled by supply chain disruption arising from the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The State of the World’s Human Rights