Briefing Notes Group 62 - Information Centre for Asylum and Migration - ecoi.net
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Group 62 – Information Centre for Asylum and Migration
Briefing Notes
28 January 2019
Egypt
TV presenter jailed for interviewing a gay man
According to reports in the Egyptian media, a TV presenter was sentenced to a year in prison on 20 January
2019 for interviewing a gay man on his chat show a year ago. The court accused the journalist of encourag-
ing immorality and contempt of religion.
Afghanistan
Attack against intelligence base
On 21 January 2019, four Taliban insurgents attacked a training centre for Afghan intelligence staff in the
province of Wardak (central Afghanistan). First a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the base, then
three Taliban fighters stormed the building. According to official figures, 36 members of the security forces
were killed and about 60 were wounded in the fighting. Other sources speak of significantly more casualties.
Suicide bombings and attacks
Fighting and suicide bombings were also reported in the following provinces: Wardak, Logar, Kapisa
(central Afghanistan), Baghlan (northern Afghanistan), Faryab (northern Afghanistan), Paktia (south-eastern
Afghanistan), Helmand, Uruzgan, Kandahar (southern Afghanistan), Nangarhar, Laghman, Khost, Kunar
(eastern Afghanistan), Herat (western Afghanistan), Balkh, Samangan and Jawzjan (northern Afghanistan).
The Afghan non-governmental organisation Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) has reported that
2,615 civilians were killed and 4,072 were injured last year, the vast majority of them in the provinces of
Kabul, Nangarhar, Helmand, Ghazni and Paktia. However, there is no information available on how CPAG
gathered this data.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is expected to publish its report on
civilian casualties in February.
Peace talks launched between the US and the Taliban
According to press reports, US and Taliban negotiators have made progress in their talks held in Qatar. If an
agreement were reached, the US would present a timetable for the withdrawal of its troops. In return, the
Taliban would undertake not to allow terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or ISIS to operate from Afghanistan.
Representatives of the Afghan government were not involved in the talks. Therefore, no agreement was
reached on the release of prisoners or on a ceasefire. Further talks are due to take place at the end of
February.
1Afghanistan/Pakistan
General-Consulate closed in Mazar-e Sharif/Afghanistan
Pakistan closed its Consulate General in Afghanistan’s Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province (northern
Afghanistan) after a woman tried to enter building carrying hand grenade on 28 January 2019.
Angola
Same sex relations decriminalised
A new penal law passed by Parliament on 23 January 2019 no longer characterises same-sex relationships as
“vices against nature”. The provision had previously been understood as a prohibition on same-sex
relationships. The new penal code replaces the law in force since Angola gained its independence from
Portugal in 1975. It also includes a ban on discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, which is
punishable by up to two years imprisonment. It is not known if homosexuals were prosecuted under the old
law. Iris Angola, the only non-governmental organisation working for the rights of homosexuals, was legally
recognised in 2018.
China
Prison sentence for human rights lawyer
On 28 January 2019, a court in the north-eastern Chinese city of Tianjin sentenced human rights lawyer
Wang Quanzhang to four and a half years in prison for subversion of state power. Wang had represented
people affected by land seizures as well as activists. He was arrested during police actions in July 2015
against Fengrui lawyers, their staff and activists (also known as “709-Crackdown”). Wang's pre-trial
detention will contribute to his sentence, meaning he could potentially be released earlier.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
President sworn in
On 24 January 2019, Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in as the new President in Kinshasa. This was the first
peaceful transfer of power since the country gained independence in 1960. In his inaugural speech, he
declared that he would soon release all political prisoners. However, it is questionable how much power
Tshisekedi actually has. The party alliance Common Front for Congo led by former President Joseph Kabila
has 337 of 500 seats in the National Assembly (Parliament) elected on 30 December 2018. By contrast, the
alliance “Cape for Change”, which supports Tshisekedi, only won 46 seats. Many observers also believe that
Tshisekedi won the election through vote rigging and with protection of the Kabila regime. Contrary to the
official figures announced by the Election Commission, according to the election result determined by the
Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (CENCO) with the help of a network of
40,000 election observers, the presidential candidate Martin Fayulu won the election with around 60 percent
of the votes.
FYR Macedonia
FYR Macedonia to be renamed Republic of North Macedonia
On 25 January 2019, the Greek parliament voted by a narrow majority to rename the country “Republic of
North Macedonia” (Severna Makedonija). Nationalists in both countries had protested against this agreement
until the bitter end.
Macedonia must now amend its constitution accordingly in the coming weeks and then inform all
international organisations and countries of the new name. Citizenship and the official language will remain
2Macedonian. Official travel documents will from now on state: “Macedonians/Citizens of the Republic of
North Macedonia”. The country codes for license plates will change to NM or NMK.
With the agreement, Greece has put an end to decades of blockade against its neighbour's rapprochement
with the EU. It is expected that the country will soon join NATO and start negotiations with the EU.
Indonesia
Governor released from prison
Jakarta’s former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama has been released from prison after serving out his con-
troversial two-year sentence for insulting Islam. Purnama was controversially jailed in May 2017 after a
court found him guilty of blasphemy for a comment he made while campaigning for re-election.
Around 10 percent of Indonesia’s 200 million population are Christians.
Iraq
Security situation
Two persons were killed and eight were wounded in a coach carrying police officers when a roadside bomb
detonated near the city of Shirqat, Salahaddin province. A second bomb exploded when a group of officers
arrived at the scene. Two police officers were killed and four were injured in the second attack. In another
attack, armed men wearing military uniforms raided a house in al-Shura, south of Mosul, killing a married
couple. On 27 January 2019, two civilians were wounded in a bomb explosion in Tikrit, Salahaddin
province.
Five members of the security forces were wounded in an attack at the Bakhtyari checkpoint in Khanaqin on
26 January 2019. Also on 26 January 2019, three soldiers were wounded when mortar rounds were fired at a
military base north-east of Baqubah, Diyala province.
On 23 January 2019, at least two police officers were killed and one wounded in a suicide bombing at a
checkpoint in the Riyadh sub-district, Kirkuk province.
Iraq/Turkey
Raid on Turkish military base
On 26 January 2019, demonstrators raided a Turkish military base in the province of Dohuk in the
Kurdistan-Iraq region. According to media reports, one person was killed and 10 others were wounded. The
Kurdish autonomous government has pledged to investigate the incident.
Iran
Amnesty International: tougher action against regime critics last year
According to Amnesty International’s latest report on Iran, the Iranian authorities arrested more than 7,000
dissidents in 2018, nine of whom died in unexplained circumstances, Hundreds of them were flogged. In
January, July and August 2018 in particular, peaceful demonstrations were dispersed using live ammunition,
tear gas and water cannons. Female activists, students, journalists, lawyers, minority activists and workers
were arrested and mistreated. At least 26 demonstrators were reportedly killed.
Homosexual hanged
According to a report issued by the Iranian state news agency INSA, a 31-year-old man charged with having
sexual intercourse with two men and with kidnapping was publicly hanged in the Iranian city of Kazerun on
10 January 2019. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, human rights organisations have reported that
between 4,000 and 6,000 persons have been executed for homosexuality.
3Protest against discrimination of the Baha’i
According to a statement issued by the Baha’i World Centre, more than 20 members of the communities in
Tehran, Isfahan, Eastern Azerbaijan and Masanderan have been arrested recently. There are reportedly
around 90 members in detention at present. Numerous members have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms
for, among other things, participating in hours of prayer, membership of an "illegal religious sect", activities
against internal security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic, the statement says.
Israel/Palestinian Autonomous Territories
One person killed in Gaza protests
Around 10,000 Gaza Strip residents took part in the protests at the border fence between Gaza and Israel on
25 January 2019 where once again some serious confrontations ensued with the Israeli security forces. A 25-
year-old man was killed and 23 persons were wounded.
EUR 8.3 million for Gaza Strip residents
Since 26 January 2019, thousands of Gaza Strip residents have been able to receive aid in the form of US$
100 per person. The cash payment comes from aid payments from Qatar, which were agreed in November in
an informal agreement with Israel (equivalent to about EUR 132 million over six months). So far, the bulk of
the money has been used to pay Hamas staff their salaries. After Israel initially withheld payments last week
(after a renewed outbreak of violence at the border a week ago), Hamas announced that it would no longer
accept any funds from the agreement. As a result, Qatar announced on 25 January 2019 that the funds would
now be used exclusively for humanitarian assistance, including UN projects.
Yemen
Bomb attacks on centre for displaced persons
According to UN sources, Eight civilians were killed and 30 others were wounded in a bomb attack against a
centre for displaced people in Haradh district, Gouvernement Hajjah in Yemen on 26 January 2019. Saudi-
Arabia has accused Houthi rebels of masterminding the attack.
Airstrikes in Sanaa
In the early hours of 20 January 2019, the coalition led by Saudi Arabia bombed facilities controlled by the
Houthi rebels in the capital Sanaa, which said were military facilities for drone missions. This was preceded
on 10 January 2019 by a drone attack carried out by the Houthi rebels on the Al-Anad air base (about 60 km
from Aden) in which numerous troops were killed and injured. Houthi rebels threatened to increase the use
of drones on 13 January 2019.
Six persons killed by landmines
On 25 January 2019, one child and five Yemeni soldiers were killed and several persons were injured by
landmines in the Al-Bayda governorate. The Houthi rebels are accused of having laid thousands of
landmines nationwide during the war. On 20 January 2019, five foreign demining experts were killed by
mines in the Ma'rib governorate.
Mortar shells set food aid on fire
Food aid stored in the Red Sea Mills (Hodeidah governorate) was damaged by mortar fire. According to the
World Food Programme which stores food supplies there, there has been no access to the mills since
September 2018 because of the fighting.
Cameroon
Over 100 persons arrested at protests organised by the MRC
4On 26 January 2019, supporters of the opposition party “Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon” (MRC)
demonstrated in several cities against the controversial result of the presidential election in October 2018.
Communications Minister René Emmanuel Sadi declared on 26 January 2019 that a total of 117 people had
been arrested and detained during unauthorised demonstrations, 62 of them in Yaounde, 42 in Bafoussam
and 13 in Mbouda. According to activists, demonstrators were injured when police opened fire during a
demonstration in Douala. However, the authorities deny the use of firearms in Douala. In the past, supporters
of the MRC had already been arrested during rallies against the election results. According to the official
count, the chairman of the MRC, Maurice Kamto, was the runner-up in the presidential election, having
garnered 14.2 percent of the votes. He accuses President Paul Biya of electoral fraud and has declared
himself president.
Embassies in Berlin und Paris occupied
According to police, in the early hours of 27 January 2019 about ten activists occupied the building of the
Cameroonian embassy in Berlin and made political demands. This resulted in damage to the building but
nobody was injured. The police drove the activists out of the embassy. The mission ended in the early
morning of 27 January 2019. Around 50 activists broke into the embassy of Cameroon in Paris at the
weekend. Facebook live video footage showed the occupiers vandalising portraits of President Paul Biya,
among others. Police forced the protestors out of the building after two hours. However, the activists
continued to protest in front of the building.
Malaysia
Change of power
On 24 January 2019, Tengku Abdullah, Sultan of Pahang, was elected as 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (also
known as the Supreme Head or the King) until 2024 at a secret session. He succeeds King Muhammad V
who resigned at the beginning of January 2019. (cf. Briefing Notes of 7 January 2019).
Mali
Two UN bluehelmets killed
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were
killed and several more were wounded on 25 January 2019 following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
attack against a convoy near Douentza, in the Mopti region, central Mali. So far nobody has claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Nigerian victims of human trafficking found in Mali
On 23 January 2019, the Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)
announced that thousands of girls and women from Nigeria had been forced into prostitution in southern
Mali. NAPTIP and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are now trying to help the women and
girls return to Nigeria. Some of the women and girls have reportedly been kidnapped in Nigeria and others
have been lured to Mali with false promises. Many of the women have been sold as sex slaves in Mali. It is
assumed that up to one million Nigerians live in Mali, of whom up to 20,000 have been forced into
prostitution.
Myanmar
Clashes with rebels
According to media reports issued on 21 January 2019, 13 fighters of the Arakan Army in the ethnic state of
Rakhine have been killed in clashes with the army. However, a spokesperson did not comment on the losses
incurred by the army. The current fighting in Rakhine state had begun on 4 January 2019 (cf. Briefing Notes
of 4 January 2019). According to official information, there have since been eight armed clashes and five
landmine explosions. The Arakan Army is said to be responsible, which, according to its own statements, is
fighting for autonomy, identity and economic development in western Myanmar. The Arakan Army, founded
5about ten years ago, is said to comprise up to 7,000 fighters. The Arakan Army is considered part of the
“Northern Alliance”, to which the Kachin Independence Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance
Army and the Taang National Liberation Army belong. These groups have not yet signed a ceasefire
agreement with the Myanmar leadership.
Pakistan
Pashtun civil rights activist arrested
On 21 January 2019, a well-known activist of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) was arrested in
Karachi on suspicion of rioting and incitement to hatred. Since 2018, the PTM has organised dozens of mass
protests over human rights violations allegedly committed by the Pakistani military since 2014 in its
operations against the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), above all in the north-western provinces of
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the north-west of the country.
Philippines
Referendum about autonomy
On 21 January 2019, a referendum took place in which, according to media reports, about three quarters of
the 2.2 million voters turned out. On 25 January 2019, the Election Commission announced that the
referendum on the formation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was
supported by a majority. The autonomy project “Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”
covers about 20 percent of the area of Mindanao, almost three million inhabitants are affected, the south-
western Sulu archipelago and the islands Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, known for their kidnappings and extortion,
belong to it. This project is intended to enable the predominantly Muslim parts of Mindanao to manage
themselves. Four years ago, the Philippine central government negotiated this agreement with the rebel
organisation Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). One key point is that Mindanao remain part of the
Philippine state. In the future, however, the main responsibility for maintaining public safety and order will
lie with the Bangsamoro government. What is new is the financing of self-government. Four percent of the
national tax revenues are to be made available to the budget of the autonomous region, and three quarters of
all regional tax revenues may be retained by the administration of the autonomous region.
Terrorist attack
According to media reports, at least 20 to 27 people were killed, more than 110 injured, 80 seriously, in a
two bombings of the Catholic cathedral Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo on 27 January 2019. ISIS has
claimed responsibility for the attack. The island of Jolo is a stronghold of the Islamist-extremist Abu Sayyaf,
which is close to ISIS but does not support the Mindanao Autonomy Project (BARMM). In Jolo (Sulu
province), the majority of voters are said to have voted against this project.
Russian Federation
On 21 January 2019, Russian law enforcement officers carried out house searches in Rostov-on-Don and
Kazan. They interviewed six activists affiliated with the NGO Open Russia.
Among others, the coordinator of the movement Anastasia Shevchenko was arrested and placed under two-
month house arrest by a Russian court for her activities with the NGO. In April 2017, Open Russia was put
on the list of undesirable organisations by the Russian authorities. Shevchenko is the first person convicted
under Article 284 para. 1 of the Russian Penal Code (repeated violation of the law on undesirable
organisations). According to the law passed in 2015, foreign organisations that pose a threat to Russia's
security and constitution may be declared undesirable. On this basis, punitive measures can be taken and an
operating ban imposed. Russian organisations and private individuals are then prohibited from receiving
financial support from these organisations and from maintaining ties to them.
Russian Federation/Chechnya
640 LGBT persons arrested in Chechnya
According to a report published by the Russian LGBT network, a total of 40 persons have been imprisoned
in Argun prison since the end of December 2018. Two of them reportedly died as a result of torture. The men
and women concerned were accused of engaging in homosexual acts. The police confiscated their identity
documents and threatened the victims and their families with criminal proceedings. The Russian LGBT
network urged members of the community on social networks to leave Chechnya or Russia. By contrast, a
spokesperson for the Chechen government rejected accusations that homosexuals are being persecuted in the
North Caucasus republic.
At the beginning of 2017, more than one hundred men considered to be homosexual were allegedly arrested
in Chechnya. In this context, torture is said to have resulted in at least three deaths. This accusation has also
been denied by the Chechen regime. President Putin ordered an investigation into the incidents, but this did
not lead to any concrete results.
Serbia
Ongoing protests
On 26 January 2019, for the eighth time in a row, thousands took to the streets in Belgrade and other cities to
protest against the government. In addition to smear campaigns against members of the opposition, they
accuse President Vucic of controlling the media, nepotism and political control of the judiciary. A former
Supreme Court judge and a keynote speaker called for President Vucic's resignation in order to restore
Serbia's rule of law. Behind the protest movement is a broad alliance of opposition parties, ranging from the
left to the far right.
A violent attack on a left-wing opposition politician in November 2018 was the reason for the wave of
protests. The crime has not yet been solved. (cf. Briefing Notes of 14 January 2019).
Mayor arrested over attack on journalist
Six weeks after the arson attack carried out on the home of the journalist Milan Jovanovic on 12 December
2018 (cf. Briefing Notes of 17 January 2018), the police have now arrested several suspects. They include a
police officer and the mayor of a Belgrade suburb who is a leading member of President Aleksandar Vucic's
ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Jovanovic had written about his financial affairs.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone bans female genital mutilation (FGM)
In a letter, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Anthony Brewah, announced the ban
on FGM. The government has banned circumcision nationwide with immediate effect according to the letter
of 21 January 2019. Riots broke out nationwide against this ban as part of a wider clampdown on initiation
rites by secret societies. Members of a secret society attacked the police station in the village of Lima (near
Kenema) on 23 January 2019 and freed prisoners. They sang songs of the secret society Poro and plundered
houses, said a police spokesperson said. A member of the Poro Society told AFP “We don’t want to
eradicate the Bondo – it’s our culture”. Girls undergo a bondo ritual that follows a similar pattern. Brewah
said the ban was related to political violence by secret societies of men, but it also applied to secret societies
of women.
Syria
Attack on US convoy
According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, which has close links to the opposition, a suicide attack
was carried out against a convoy of US troops and their Kurdish-Arab allies near the northern Syrian town of
Al-Hasaka on 21 January 2019. Five fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were reportedly killed
and two US troops were wounded. Other sources say only a few persons sustained minor injuries. ISIS has
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Withdrawal from last IS stronghold
7According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, almost 5,000 people left the last IS stronghold in the
eastern Syrian province of Deir Essor last week. 470 ISIS fighters and many of their relatives are reported to
have been among them. They reportedly left the region in trucks sent by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
after the Kurdish-Arab SDF alliance had retaken several villages that had been held by ISIS in recent weeks.
ISIS reportedly now occupies only ten square kilometres of territory in Deir Essor.
Togo
Riots in Dapaong
A reportedly fatal accident involving a motorcycle taxi rider fleeing from police led to violent clashes
between civilians and security forces in Dapaong (capital of the northern region of Savanes) on 23 and 24
January 2019. On 25 January 2019, the Minister of Security and Civil Protection, General Damehane Yark,
denied that the motorcycle taxi rider had died.
Demonstration
Only a few people took part in the first anti-government demonstration since the parliamentary elections last
December, which was organised by the opposition coalition C14 in Lomé on 26 January 2019. Opposition
representatives said this was due to the strong presence of security forces.
Turkey
Deputy Leyla Güven released from prison
On 25 January 2019, a court in Diyarbakir ordered the supervised release of the pro-Kurdish deputy Leyla
Güven, who had been on hunger strike. The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) deputy had been
on hunger strike since November 2018, with the HDP saying her condition had recently reached a “life-
threatening” stage (cf. Briefing Notes of 21 January 2019).
Uganda
Arrests for aiding and abetting FGM
On 21 January 2019, the police arrested 19 people in Kween District in Sebei Sub-region in Eastern Uganda
for performing and aiding the female genital mutilation (FGM) of several women. FGM is prohibited in
Uganda and is punishable by up to ten years in prison or, if the victim dies, by life imprisonment. It is
practised particularly in remote areas in the east and north-east of the country.
Ukraine
Tymoshenko put forward as candidate for presidential election
On 22 January 2019, the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was officially put forward by her party,
Fatherland, as its candidate for the presidential election due to be held on 31 March 2019. Tymoshenko
served as the country’s Prime Minister in 2005 and from 2007 to 2010. Polls currently show her leading
incumbent President Poroshenko.
Venezuela
Power struggle between Juan Guaidó and Nicolás Maduro
8On the afternoon of 23 January 2019, Juan Guaidó, president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly
which had been stripped of its powers by Maduro, declared himself interim president of Venezuela during a
mass rally at Plaza Juan Pablo II in Caracas. The same day, he was formally recognised as the legitimate
interim president by US President Donald Trump and by the Organisation of American States (OAS). On 26
January 2019, several EU countries, including Germany, gave President Maduro an eight-day deadline to call
new elections, failing which they, too, would recognise Guaidó. Against the backdrop of the escalating crisis
in Venezuela, both Maduro and Guaidó are vying for the support of the military, whose leaders have so far
stood by Maduro. In contrast, however, on 26 January 2019, the military attaché at the Venezuelan Embassy
in Washington renounced his allegiance to Maduro and called on other members of the military to join him
in defecting from Maduro’s government. Guaidó is now trying to convince ordinary soldiers, in particular,
who, like the civilian population, are suffering the effects of severe shortages of basic goods and
hyperinflation, to join him. He called on his supporters to hand out copies of the amnesty law approved by
the National Assembly to soldiers. The amnesty law guarantees impunity for the military if its members join
in the restoration of democratic order. Guaidó has called for new opposition-led protests against Maduro on
30 January and 2 February 2019.
Central African Republic
Alleged war criminal handed over to the ICC
On 23 January 2019, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona was transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in
The Hague, the Netherlands, by the authorities of the French Republic. The militia leader, who is accused of
war crimes and crimes against humanity, was arrested in France in December (cf. Briefing Notes of 17 De-
cember 2018).
Group 62 – Information Centre for Asylum and Migration
Briefing Notes
informationsvermittlungsstelle@bamf.bund.de
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