charge at the end of the year. Over 40 others were arrested over the following days in Bata, and at least 10 others in other towns. In April, four days before the elections, some 140 people were arrested at Bata airport as they welcomed CI’s SecretaryGeneral. Others were arrested later in their homes; they included Gabriel Nze’s sister and elder brother. Some detainees were held at Bata police station and others in Bata prison. All were released without charge over a week later. Several were tortured and otherwise ill-treated, including a man who was made to lie on the floor while soldiers jumped on his hands. EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE On 22 April, police used excessive force against CI members who had gathered peacefully in the party’s headquarters in Malabo. At about 4am, police in helicopters and armed vehicles surrounded the headquarters and used tear gas and live ammunition to force the approximately 200 party members out of the building. Four people were injured by bullets and taken to hospital over 24 hours later, following the intervention of the US Ambassador. At least 23 people were arrested and taken to Black Beach prison where they were beaten. All were released without charge on 30 April. The police siege of the CI’s headquarters continued until 4 May. ARBITRARY ARREST AND DETENTIONS In February, police arbitrarily arrested Ernesto Mabale Eyang and Juan Antonio Mosuy Eseng, respectively the son and nephew of the Secretary-General of the party Coalition of the Opposition for the Restoration of a Democratic State. Juan Antonio Mosuy Eseng emailed his cousin a document allegedly signed by the Minister of National Security ordering the arrest of exiled politicians. The document had been published online the previous day. After a week at Malabo Central police station, they were transferred to Black Beach prison where they remained without charge or trial and without access to their lawyer for several months. The Malabo Amnesty International Report 2016/17 investigating court did not respond to a habeas corpus application issued by their lawyer in March. However, in June, the investigating judge demanded a bribe of 10 million CFA francs (€15,000) to release the two men. In late November, they were formally charged, tried and convicted of revealing state secrets and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment each, and were released as, by then, they had already been imprisoned for nine months. RIGHT TO EDUCATION In July, the Ministry of Education issued an order calling for the expulsion of pregnant girls from school, justified by the ViceMinister of Education as a means to reduce adolescent pregnancies. The measures came into force on 19 September, the start of the school year. ERITREA State of Eritrea Head of state and government: Isaias Afwerki Thousands continued to leave the country, many fleeing the indefinite national service. The right of people to leave the country continued to be restricted. Restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and of religion remained. The security forces carried out unlawful killings. Arbitrary detention without charge or trial continued to be the norm for thousands of prisoners of conscience. BACKGROUND The change of currency affected the livelihood of families. Under government regulations, withdrawals from individuals’ bank accounts were limited to 5000 nakfa (US$290) a month. Between 12 and 14 June, armed clashes erupted between the Eritrean and the Ethiopian military. Hundreds of combatants were reported to have been killed. Both governments blamed each other for 153