Brazilian indigenous leaders have accused President Jair Bolsonaro of crimes against humanity and filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was reported by the France 24 TV channel.
Kayapo chief Raoni Metuktire and paiter-surui chief Almir Narayamoga Surui filed a lawsuit on January 22.
Tribal leaders indicated that since Bolsonaro was elected head of state, deforestation of Amazonian forests has increased dramatically, and the number of murders of indigenous leaders has peaked, breaking records for the past 11 years. In addition, they noted that environmental agencies were powerless and faced with threats.
Metuktire and Surui stressed that forced displacement and persecution are “crimes against humanity”.
France 24 notes that the Bolsonaro government had previously proposed legislation to ease restrictions on the commercial extraction of minerals, gas and oil, and large-scale agriculture in the Amazon region.
The Guardian, citing a report from the non-governmental organization Climate Observatory, clarifies that since Bolsonaro took office, significant tracts of rainforest have been destroyed, and traditional communities have been threatened. In two years, deforestation has jumped nearly 50 percent, reaching its highest level since 2008. In 2019, incursions into indigenous lands increased by 135 percent, with at least 18 people killed in land conflicts last year.
