Police

A member of the Ukrainian military walks through the basement rooms of a restaurant local residents say was used as a torture site by Russian forces during their occupation of Snihurivka on November 23, 2022. © Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Russian Captain Convicted for Torturing Ukrainian Police Officers

The court classified the victims as civilians who maintained their protective status, rather than combatants.

20 Feb 25

Susan Auma and Robert Adongo, Peter Otieno’s mother and brother, hold his funeral pamphlet. Otieno died from injuries allegedly inflicted by police during protests in Kondele, Kisumu County, on July 12, 2023. © Thomas Mukhwana/IWPR

Kenyans Maimed by the State Demand Accountability

Despite scores of killings during a deadly crackdown on protest, no police officers have been arrested or charged.

8 Nov 24

Plain clothed and uniformed security operatives arrest Sammy Okanya (C) in Kampala on July 23 2024. © Haggai Matsiko/IWPR/Agora

How Uganda Tried to Silence Protest

Young anti-corruption activists tell IWPR of abuse they suffered in police detention.

8 Nov 24

On December 26, 2021, five young men - Tawfiq Mohamed, Seif Swala, Edwin Kunambi, Hemed Abass, and Rajabu Mdoe - went missing after they left for a beach party in the Kigamboni suburb of Dar es Salaam. © Ali Mkumbwa/unsplash

Tanzania: Police Under Scrutiny Over Disappearances

“The issue inflicts immense anguish upon families left not knowing whether their loved ones are alive, suffering, or dead.”

25 Mar 24

Serhii Bolvinov is a chief investigator of the National Police of the Kharkiv region. © Ihor Tambiiev

Ukraine: From Traffic Accidents to War Crimes

How regional police department had to pivot to deal with influx of with some 10,000 cases.

21 Mar 23

Kenyan activists protest against extra-judicial killings by police officers in Mathare slum, a hotspot for summary 'executions' of suspected criminals allegedly by a police hit squad in Nairobi on April 13, 2022. © Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

Kenya: The Young Men Who Disappear

Many victims - usually people from the poorest slum areas - are never found. Campaigners say the police are often responsible.

30 Aug 22

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Gagauzia

How a girl’s dream to become a police officer raised the bar of gender equality in a conservative region.

24 Mar 22

Beatings and torture, long an issue of concern, have become commonplace in Belarus since people first rose up to protest the elections in August 2020. © Andrew Keymaster/Unsplash

Belarus: Police Violence Continues

Beatings and torture, long an issue of concern, have become commonplace since the August 2020 uprising.

22 Feb 22

Kenyan security personnel seen in Nairobi.

Kenya: Security Forces Blamed for Rise in Forced Disappearances

Only around one in three of all those abducted return alive.

7 Jan 22

Detention of journalist in one of the protests in Almaty city. (Photo: RFE/RL's Kazak service)

Kazak Journalists Face Routine Harassment

Although the media is protected by law, beatings and illegal detentions are common.

5 Nov 20

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