Indigenous Peoples Network denounce Bolsonaro for genocide at the International Crime Court

For the first time in history, indigenous people have appealed directly to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, to denounce a government for genocide. The action against Jair Bolsonaro was filed by a group of indigenous lawyers led by Eloy Terena, representing the Indigenous People of Brazil Network (Apib), of which he is the legal coordinator.

“We believe that acts are underway in Brazil that can be seen as crimes against humanity, genocide and ecocide. Given the inability of the current justice system in Brazil to investigate, prosecute and judge this, we denounce these acts to the international community, mobilizing the International Criminal Court,” Terena said.

Since 2019, the indigenous people of in Brazil have suffered from a record increase in environmental crimes and cases of rights violations. Because of state negligence during the Covid-19 pandemic, there are nearly 58,142 confirmed cases of the disease among the indigenous population and 1,175 recorded deaths, according to Apib data updated on August 12, the largest of any demographic.