12 EMBOLDENED OFFENDERS, ENDANGERED COMMUNITIES Shutdowns shrouding grave human rights abuses and violence In the continuation of a devastating and horrific multi-year trend, shutdowns were rampant during times of violence in 2024. Authorities imposed shutdowns to quell protests or to cover up their own abuses, stoking fear and uncertainty and cutting off access to life-saving information, deepening the impact of the violence.44 We documented a record-high 72 shutdowns coinciding with grave human rights abuses,45 such as murder, torture, rape, or apparent war crimes and atrocities,46 in 17 countries. Shrouded by internet shutdowns, governments, militaries, and police or security forces in these countries killed protesters,47 targeted civilians through airstrikes on villages, hospitals, and schools,48 and blockaded cities from receiving humanitarian aid.49 Shutdowns coinciding with grave human rights abuses 6 44 Human Rights Watch (2024). Mozambique: Post-Election Internet Restrictions Hinder Rights. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/06/ mozambique-post-election-internet-restrictions-hinder-rights 45 Supra note 5. 46 See, e.g., Access Now (2024). MENA in 2023: internet shutdowns soar amid unprecedented violence and war. https://www.accessnow.org/ press-release/mena-keepiton-internet-shutdowns-2023-en/ 47 Al Jazeera (2024). Bangladesh student protests over jobs escalate, telecoms disrupted. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/19/ bangladesh-student-protests-over-jobs-escalate-telecoms-disrupted 48 The Irrawaddy (2024). Myanmar Junta Destroys 35 More Hospitals, Clinics in Two Months: NUG. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/ myanmar-junta-destroys-35-more-hospitals-clinics-in-two-months-nug.html 49 Al Jazeera (2024). Updates: Israel continues to block Gaza aid; heavy rains flood tent camps. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/ liveblog/2024/12/31/live-seventh-palestinian-freezes-to-death-in-gaza-amid-israeli-siege