Political crisis and human rights
In the UN, government responds to NGO charges of assaults on the Constitution
The ABGLT (Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals) and Conectas denounced in the UN today, June 23, the threat of setbacks to human rights caused by Brazil’s current political crisis. In a statement made at the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council, the organizations said that measures taken by the interim government and by the Legislature could dismantle guarantees contained in the Federal Constitution and lead the country to breach international treaties.
Click here to read the statement in full.
As an example, they mentioned the attempts to reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16, through Amendment 33/2012, which is currently pending in the Constitution and Justice Commission of the Senate. Another target of the denouncement was Bill 5069/2013, which would criminalize women and health professionals who perform abortions on rape victims (a procedure that is permitted by law).
According to the organizations, executive acts, such as the downgrading of the Ministry of Women, Racial Equality and Human Rights to a department of the Ministry of Justice, illustrate a lack of priority for this agenda. “Times of crisis require responsible actions by the authorities. Human rights ought to be the compass in the search for solutions. But statements and actions by the interim government indicate that these rights are being treated with disregard,” they said.
After the statement by the organizations, a representative of the Brazilian government requested the right to respond and, at the end of the session, said that all countries face these challenges and that Brazil “is fully committed to the protection of human rights and the defense of the rule of law”.
“The government of Brazil fully respects the right of civil society organizations to express their views and opinions in the Human Rights Council, even when we directly disagree, as is the case with the statement made today by the ABGLT and Conectas,” he said.
Watch the statement by the organizations (1:23) and the response by the government (1:43):
