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WORLD NEWS Friday 29 November 2019

Group urges international court

to probe Brazil's president

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A The complaint was co-au- been environmental chal-
group of Brazilian lawyers thored by the Brazil-based lenges for centuries in this
and former ministers have Arns Commission for Hu- country, but what is hap-
requested that the Inter- man Rights Defense, which pening under President Bol-
national Criminal Court includes six former Cabi- sonaro is different," argued
investigate President Jair net ministers from previous de Almeida, the law pro-
Bolsonaro for allegedly in- administrations, as well as fessor. "The dismantling of
citing the genocide of in- lawyers, philosophers, a public (environmental pro-
digenous people and fail- journalist and an environ- tection) policies, and the Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro flashes a thumbs up as he greets
ing to safeguard the forests mentalist. direct attack on indigenous supporters after attending a Changing of the Guard at the Plan-
alto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, Nov. 28,
and protected lands they "If the private groups are peoples did not exist under 2019.
live in. serious about pursuing an previous administrations.q Associated Press
They described in a press investigation, not simply
conference Thursday what drawing attention to the
they said were "wide- situation in Brazil, it should
spread, systematic attacks" convince other states in the
on indigenous tribes under region to formally refer Bra-
the Bolsonaro administra- zil to the Court," said Kevin
tion, which is seeking to Jon Heller, an associate
promote economic devel- professor of international
opment in the Amazon of- law at the University of Am-
ten at the expense of envi- sterdam. This strategy was
ronmental regulation. adopted for instance by
The document the group some Venezuelan states,
sent to the court includes and is more likely to be suc-
33 actions and comments cessful, he said.
from Bolsonaro, said Eloísa Bolsonaro, a former army
Machado de Almeida, a captain, has argued that
law professor at the Funda- environmental protections
cao Getulio Vargas univer- often become an obstacle
sity in Sao Paulo, who pre- to economic development
sented the details of the in Brazil. His administration
request. says it is working on new
The allegations range from legislation that would reg-
the president's vocal sup- ularize small-scale mining
port of small-scale illegal activities in protected ar-
mining in protected areas, eas. Critics argue that the
to his criticism of some pub- president's comments are
lic servants working with empowering land-grab-
environmental and indig- bers and illegal loggers.
enous affairs, and the data The fires that swept through
they produce. the Amazon in July and Au-
Bolsonaro's office declined gust were mostly intention-
to comment. ally set to clear deforested
Experts say The Hague- land for soy production or
based International Crimi- pastures. Deforestation in
nal Court receives thou- the Amazon rainforest is
sands of similar communi- also at its highest level in
cations each year. Most do more than a decade, gov-
not lead to investigations or ernment data shows.
indictments. "It's true that there have