Briefing Notes Group 62 - Information Centre for Asylum and Migration - BAMF

Briefing Notes
Group 62 – Information Centre for Asylum and Migration

                                                                                                    29 June 2020

Afghanistan

COVID-19 pandemic and flooding
Confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported from all 34 provinces. The highest number of cases relate to the
capital, Kabul, followed by the provinces of Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar and Kandahar. A further increase in the
numbers of cases is expected in the coming weeks. Hospitals are operating close to full capacity.
Flooding has occurred in the north and the east of the country. On 23.06.20 heavy rain in Kunar, Laghman and
Nangarhar provinces caused isolated local flash floods which led to loss of life and damage to property. It is
estimated that some 100 families have been affected by the aftermath.

Attacks, hostilities, civilian casualties
According to a statement issued by the Afghan security council on 22.06.20, the week from 15 to 21 June 2020
witnessed the highest number of fatalities in the space of one week for 19 years. The Taliban were allegedly
responsible for 422 incidents in 32 provinces in which 291 members of the government forces and 148 civilians
died. 550 members of the government forces were injured.
The Taliban continued its hostilities last week. One of the most serious attacks occurred on 23.06.20 in Balkh
province. In attacks on three bases, seven police officers and four soldiers died, two police officers were injured,
four Taliban fighters were killed and three injured. Meanwhile, following completion of the exchange of prisoners,
peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are now impending, after several postponements to
the intra-Afghan dialogue.
According to a statement issued by the Afghan security council on 27.06.20, 21 civilians were killed in incidents in
14 provinces last week and at least 30 people were injured. Two employees of a human rights organisation were
killed by a car bomb in the capital, Kabul, on 27.06.20. No-one has admitted responsibility for the attack. On
22.06.20 two public prosecutors and three employees of the chief public prosecutor’s office were shot dead in a
Kabul suburb. On 30.05.20 a television journalist was killed in an attack on a minibus in which other employees of
a TV channel were also travelling. The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for this
attack.

Algeria

COVID-19 pandemic: Protests
Demonstrations against the government have been taking place again since 19.06.20, despite the curfews and bans
on public gatherings which are currently in force. Tear gas and rubber bullets were reportedly used when clashes

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occurred between demonstrators and security forces at demonstrations in Bejaia, in the north-west of Algeria, on
19.06.20. Demonstrators allegedly threw stones at the security forces. Critics accuse the government of exploiting
the state of emergency to weaken the protest movement and prevent a resurgence of the protests. Up to 200
activists and journalists are said to have been arrested since the restrictions were introduced.

China

Human rights activist sentenced to prison term
On 24.06.20 a court in the city of Suzhou (Jiangsu province) sentenced human rights activist Ge Jueping to four and
a half years in prison for inciting the subversion of state power. Ge is suffering from various illnesses for which he
is reportedly not receiving adequate treatment in prison. He has been in state custody since September 2016.

Hong Kong: Arrests at demonstrations
The police arrested 53 people at a demonstration against the planned security law in the district of Kowloon on
28.06.20.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in Peking began a three-day meeting on the law on
28.06.20. Observers expect the law to be passed in the course of this meeting and believe that it could enter into
force as early as 01.07.20. Among other things, the security law is to allow central state security agencies to operate
in Hong Kong for the first time. Actions undermining the power of the state and interference by foreign forces are
to be punishable under the new law. No further details have emerged as yet.

Côte d'Ivoire

Arrests following deadly attack on military post
According to media reports citing information from the security services, a national of Burkina Faso was arrested
on 21.06.20 on suspicion of having coordinated an attack on a military post close to the border on 11.06.20. 30
other people have reportedly also been arrested in connection with the attack and communications equipment has
been seized. The incident involved an attack by an armed group on a military post in the town of Kafolo, near to
the border with Burkina Faso. There are reports of at least ten soldiers having been killed and at least six injured. It
further emerges from media reports that the government of Côte d’Ivoire is classifying the incident as a terrorist
attack. Security analysts have long feared that the escalating violence in the Sahel region could spread to the coastal
countries in the Gulf of Guinea – Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo and Ghana. There is speculation that the attack could
be a reaction to the first joint military operation carried out by the two countries in May 2020. This operation
allegedly led to the death of eight fighters, the capture of 30 fighters and the destruction of a logistics base close
to the border in Burkina Faso.

DR Congo

Ebola epidemic in eastern Congo declared over, outbreak in north-west
On 25.06.20 the WHO declared the tenth and most severe Ebola outbreak to date in the DR Congo to be over. The
outbreak began in the east Congolese province of North Kivu on 01.08.18 and spread to neighbouring Ituri province.
According to information from the WHO, a total of 3,470 people (confirmed and possible cases) became infected
with Ebola, 2,287 of whom have died. Combating the virus proved extremely difficult, as it spread in a region in
which numerous militias are active. There were incidents involving attacks by these militias on helpers and
hospitals. The eleventh Ebola outbreak has since occurred on 01.06.20 in the town of Mbandaka, located some
1,000 km from North Kivu in the north-western province of Équateur. As per 27.06.20, 25 confirmed cases and
three possible cases had been reported in Équateur. 13 infected people have died to date.

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Egypt

Media representatives and activists arrested
The Egyptian security forces arrested numerous media representatives and human rights activists last month under
the pretext of alleged incitement to terrorism, the dissemination of fake news and the abuse of social media.
On 23.06.20 Sanaa Seif, a human rights activist and sister of imprisoned blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, was arrested by
plain-clothes police officers outside the public prosecutor’s office and questioned shortly afterwards by the state
security prosecutor. Seif is accused, among other things, of spreading fake news and incitement to terrorism.

On 24.06.20 the offices of the independent Egyptian media channel Al-Manassa were searched by plain-clothes
police officers. The security forces confiscated computers and arrested the editor Nora Younis. Younis was released
on bail on 25.06.20. Investigations have been initiated against her for running a news site without accreditation.
Efforts to attain accreditation for the Al-Manassa media channel have been ongoing without success since 2018.

India

COVID-19 pandemic
Following a gradual easing of the nationwide lockdown, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has topped half
a million. A number of federal states are thus considering re-imposing lockdowns. The situation is particularly tense
in India’s densely populated cities, above all New Delhi and Mumbai. The hospitals here are working to full capacity.
In some cases, hospitals are resorting to treating patients in railway carriages and hotels. A further sharp increase
in COVID-19 cases is expected up to the end of July.

Iran

Members of charity organisation arrested
The founder and other members of the charity organisation “Imam Ali’s Popular Students Relief Society” were
arrested on 20.06.20. This was reported by the organisation on Twitter shortly after the arrests. The arrests were
allegedly ordered by the pasdaran. The arrested members are reportedly being accused of insulting the
revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini. They also
stand accused of conspiring against national security. The grounds for this step are not yet known. “Imam Ali’s
Popular Students Relief Society”, or “Jamiyate Imam Ali”, is one of the largest NGOs in Iran. Founded in 1999, the
organisation claims to have more than 12,000 volunteers and operates independently and non-politically. It
supports various causes, such as children, education and fighting poverty. Its volunteers also carry out relief work
in natural disasters.

Iranian chief rabbi: Jews safer in Iran than in Europe
The chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Iran, rabbi Yehuda Garami, recently stated in an interview with Pars
Today/Press TV that Iranian Jews were safer in the Islamic Republic than in Europe, and that Israel did not
represent Judaism. He said Jewish religious activities took place in the open and without any restrictions. He puts
the Jewish population in Iran at up to 25,000 believers and disputes other estimates which put the number at around
8,000. Garami observed that Iran was home to the largest Jewish diaspora in the Middle East and noted that they
were recognised – also in the constitution – as a minority, with one seat in parliament.

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Iraq

Security situation
Security incidents involving attacks by IS fighters continue, with casualties among both the security forces and the
civilian population.
The security forces are launching operations against IS fighters. An Iraqi military spokesman stated on 23.06.20
that the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) had killed twelve IS fighters in security operations in the Qarachogh
mountains near Makhmour, between Ninive and Erbil provinces. The international coalition against IS supported
the CTS operation with 59 air raids on IS hideouts in the region. On 24 June the Iraqi Joint Operations Command
published the results of the third phase of a large-scale security operation under the title “Iraq’s Heroes”. The report
states that the Iraqi ground troops, supported by the air force, have searched an area covering 4,853 square metres,
including 89 villages. In the operation, the Iraqi security forces discovered hideouts and stocks of ammunition and
seized various weapons, explosives and vehicles.

COVID-19 pandemic
On 25.06.20 the Iraqi health ministry reported that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country had
risen to 39,139. This represents an increase of 13.422 cases compared to the previous week. The death toll is put at
1,437 and the total number of recoveries at 18,051. The regions in which the highest numbers of new cases were
reported were Baghdad province, followed by Basra and Dhi Qar province.
According to the UNHCR, more than 40 % of all cases were reported in Baghdad province.

According to reports in the press, the situation has deteriorated at many Iraqi hospitals.

Lebanon

Cleric Sayyed Ali al-Amin under investigation
The public prosecutor’s office for the Libanonberg region, which has a majority Maronite Christian population,
announced on 23.06.20 that it intends to launch investigations into the well-known anti-Hezbollah cleric regarding
alleged contact with Israel. Various politicians belonging to parties which are not directly allied with Hezbollah
have criticised these investigations as being blatantly politically motivated.

Economic crisis
The general economic and currency crisis remains a source of major disruptions in the Lebanese economy, which
is highly dependent on imports. The current negotiations between the political parties appear to be gridlocked. The
repeated lockdowns due to the COVID-19 epidemic are further compounding the situation. Largely peaceful
protests have been reported from all major towns and cities throughout the week.
The official exchange rate for the dollar remains at around 1 dollar to 1,500 Lebanese pounds, while more than
twice this rate applies at official dealers. At times, the dollar has been trading at 1:7,200 on the black market. Limits
apply to the issuing of dollars, both when exchanging money and when withdrawing savings.

Mongolia

Ruling party wins parliamentary election
According to the provisional results, the governing Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) led by prime minister Ukhnaa
Khurelsukh won 62 of the 76 parliamentary seats in the parliamentary election on 24.06.20. The opposition
Democratic Party took eleven seats. This is the first time that a governing party has been re-elected since the first
multi-party election in 1990. The newly elected MPs include 13 women. The turnout stood at 73 %.
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Ranking 92 among 189 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), Mongolia is among the countries with a high standard of human development. Around 28 %
of the population nevertheless lives in poverty. The country with a population of some 3.2 million is rich in natural
resources. Falling demand and world market prices are among the causes of the country’s current economic
problems.

COVID-19 pandemic
The parliamentary election took place with appropriate precautionary measures to combat COVID-19, such as
distancing rules and the measurement of body temperatures. 220 infections and no deaths have been recorded in
the country to date.

Nepal

COVID-19: All 77 districts affected.
According to information from the health ministry, the COVID-19 pandemic has now spread throughout all 77
districts in Nepal. Following the government’s easing of the lockdown on 10 June, the number of infections
increased threefold and currently totals almost 13,000 cases. The cabinet has yet to decide what measures to take.
Responsible authorities point out that most of the infections relate to people who have returned from abroad and
who are already in quarantine, however.

Nigeria

Attack on car convoy in Borno
On 27.06.20 suspected fighters of the Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram attacked a car convoy comprising
more than a hundred vehicles which was being escorted by soldiers and members of the citizens’ militia (Civilian
Joint Task Force) on the road linking Maiduguri to Damboa. The attack, which occurred at the village of Komala,
near to the town of Damboa, claimed the lives of nine soldiers and two members of the citizens’ militia. Around 20
attackers were reportedly killed. The civilians remained unharmed.

North Macedonia

Former special public prosecutor receives long prison term
According to current media reports, on 18.06.20 the criminal court in Skopje sentenced the former chief prosecutor
and head of the SJO special public prosecution department, Katica Janeva, to seven years in prison for her role in a
corruption scandal (the so-called “Racket” case). The court of first instance had found her guilty of abuse of office,
noting that the corruption scandal, which hit the headlines in North Macedonia in 2019, had ruined the credibility
of the special public prosecution department as it stood at the time. The special department was set up in the midst
of a political crisis in 2015 to restore trust in the country’s discredited judiciary.

Pakistan

COVID-19 pandemic
Following an easing of the lockdown, the number of reported COVID-19 cases has risen. The highest numbers of
cases were reported from Sindh province, followed by Punjab province. The sharp rise in new infections is to be
countered by local lockdowns. The government has identified 500 particularly severely affected areas where
appropriate measures are to be undertaken according to the local situation. The provincial governments are
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required to strictly enforce the wearing of face masks. Domestic flights are operating. International flights are to
be phased back in. Educational establishments remain closed.

Attack on stock exchange building in Karachi
On 29.06.20 four attackers armed with assault rifles and grenades stormed the stock exchange building in Karachi
and staged a shootout with police and security personnel. The four attackers, one police officer and two civilians
were killed. The militant separatist movement Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the
attack.

Russian Federation

Referendum on constitutional amendments underway
The referendum on the most significant constitutional amendments in Russian history has been underway in the
Russian Federation since 25.06.20. State television focused for a long time on the fact that the fundamentally
revised constitution enshrines social guarantees, such as pegging of the pension level to the cost of living, and
embraces conservative values such as the definition of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. The final
days in the run-up to the opening of polling stations witnessed a noticeable shift in emphasis towards stability and
a strong state which, according to the pro-government media, only president Putin is able to guarantee. The
amendment of the constitution enables Putin to run for two further periods of office after 2024, which would not
be possible under the current constitution. In the opposition’s view, incorporating a special provision for an
incumbent president into a constitution amounts to a subversion of the constitution, rather than a constitutional
reform. According to official information, the referendum involves more than 170 amendments which the country’s
citizens can approve or reject - not individually, however, but only as a package. President Putin has announced
that he will only put the amended constitution into force if it is supported by a majority. It should be evident
whether this is the case on 01.07.20 - the official election date. The election period has been extended to seven
days due to the prevailing corona pandemic.

Syria

UN: One million people at risk of acute famine
In connection with a forthcoming donor’s conference in Brussels, on 25.06.20 a spokesperson for the United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP) drew attention to the precarious supply situation in Syria, particularly in
the still embattled areas in the north of the country. The WFP currently estimates the population in Syria at 20
million, of whom it claims one million face a risk of acute famine, with food supplies also in jeopardy for a further
9.3 million people.
The Security Council is currently debating whether to re-open the border crossing points into the territories outside
of the government’s control for a temporary period of six months. These crossing points have been closed under
pressure from Russia, and no international relief supplies have entered the country via these points since the
beginning of the year.

France repatriates ten children of IS supporters
On 22.06.20 ten children returned to France from prisons in the areas under Kurdish-dominated administration in
north-eastern Syria. They reportedly included three orphans and seven children for whom their mothers agreed to
give up their legal custody. This brings the number of children whom the French foreign ministry has repatriated
from the region to 28.
Relief organisations put the number of children of French nationals who remain in Syria at around 270. In all, the
number of imprisoned children of western jihadists is said to be in the order of 900. The majority of these have been
imprisoned since the territorial defeat of IS in March 2019.
Germany estimates that around 150 children of German nationality are being held captive.

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Tanzania

Amnesty criticises arrests of opposition politicians
Amnesty International (AI) has criticised the arrest of opposition leader Zitto Kabwe, leader of the Alliance for
Change and Transparency (ACT), and seven other party members on 23.06.20, which it sees as an example of
increasingly tough action against critics of the government in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in
September 2020. The human rights organisation observes that dissenters from the government line face
harassment and intimidation. Zitto Kabwe and his entourage were arrested in the community of Kilwa in the south
of Tanzania on charges of having held an illegal gathering.
Government representatives cite a law enacted by president John Magufuli which prohibits all political parties from
holding campaign rallies outside of their own constituencies until the National Election Commission expressly
launches the official election campaign.

Togo

Prison terms for opposition supporters
Eleven juvenile opposition supporters were each sentenced to twelve months in prison at the beginning of June
2020. Eight of these received suspended sentences. The remainder are serving their sentences in the civilian prison
in Tsévié. Five other imprisoned juveniles have become infected with COVID-19 and are being held in the civilian
prison in Lomé. This was disclosed by representatives of the opposition movement Dynamique Mgr Kpodzro (DMK)
at a press conference in Lomé on 24.06.20.
The 16 juveniles were arrested together with other opposition supporters and opposition MP Agbéyomé Kodjo in
a raid on the latter’s home on 21.04.20. They belong to the DMK, which is led by the retired Catholic archbishop of
Lomé, Philippe Kpodzro. The DMK advocates a peaceful change of government and supports Agbéyomé Kodjo.
Kodjo was beaten by the incumbent, Faure Gnassingbé, in the presidential election in February 2020, but declared
himself the democratically elected president. After his parliamentary immunity was revoked in March 2020, the
chief public prosecutor’s office initiated investigations into Kodjo (cf. BN of 27.04.20).

Turkey

Trial of OdaTV staff begins
The trial of the editor-in-chief of OdaTV, Muyesser Yildiz, and seven other defendants on charges of betraying
secrets, began in Istanbul on 24.06.20. The defendants have reported on operations by the Turkish secret services
in Libya, naming specific individuals whom they accused of illegal activities. Based in Ankara, OdaTV takes a critical
political stance towards the current government.

Venezuela

New report on disappearances
A new report by the John F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in cooperation with Foro Penal traces
the development of the practice of the enforced disappearance of persons over the period from 2018 to the end of
May 2020. A marked increase in politically motivated detainments is to be observed in 2019 (from around 200 cases
in 2018 to around 600 cases in 2019), with a significant share of those detained still yet to resurface at the time of
the report. The Covid-19 epidemic does not seem to have led to any significant reduction in this practice, which
appears to remain roughly at the previous year’s level.

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Vietnam

Prison term for critic of the government
On 23.06.20 a court in the province of Hoa Binh sentenced Nguyen Van Nghiem to six years in prison for publishing
material critical of the government in social media. He was arrested on 05.11.19.

                                                         Group 62 - Information Centre for Asylum and Migration
                                                                                                 Briefing Notes
                                                                                 BN-Redaktion@bamf.bund.de

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