Bolsonaro on Trial for COVID-19 Pandemic Mismanagement

On May 24 and 25, the trial of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro by the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) takes place, on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic and of attacking minorities and democracy in Brazil.

Bolsonaro publicly minimized the impact of the pandemic and encouraged Brazilians to continue working regardless of the risk of infection, thus neglecting his responsibilities as a manager of fair public policies.

The legal petition was filed by the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, Public Services International, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil and the Black Coalition for Rights.

Former Human Rights Minister Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro said that "Bolsonaro will be judged for his impunity in the last three years." He further said that during the pandemic period, the president rolled out an anti-vaccine campaign, put off vaccinations and proposed ineffective drugs, which led to misinformation and popular panic.

According to Sérgio Pinheiro Jair Bolsonaro, despite being denounced by the Supreme Court and the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the pandemic, continues to disrespect the rights of the population and treat civil society as his enemy.

Today Bolsonaro is being tried by the Permanent Court of Peoples for crimes against humanity during the pandemic, having a 2-day trial for attacks against minorities and democracy in Brazil. We trust that justice will be served!

The Tribunal that will receive the case is an opinion-making body that investigates cases pursued by international public opinion in defense of the rights of peoples, but it has no sentencing power from a legal point of view.

The crimes perpetrated by Bolsonaro during the pandemic will be exposed before the PTT tribunal by lawyer and professor Eloisa Machado, from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, as well as witnesses in the case. The tribunal is composed of 12 world-renowned personalities and an incumbent who will hear the lawsuits.

The plaintiffs consider that it is the "right time to install this court of opinion" even though the Planalto Palace, the seat of the Executive Branch, has not yet confirmed that it will send a representative to defend the president.