URGENT ACTION

VOTE ON URGENT TREATMENT OF SECURITY BILL
Any day from 14 April on the National Congress could vote a requirement to process the bill nº 6.764/2002 on National Security Issues as an urgent matter and without public consultation while Brazil faces its worst moment of COVID-19 pandemic with more than 350,000 registered deaths. This bill proposal, based on the former national security doctrine from the military dictatorship, has the potential to threaten human rights. We demand a public consultation, analysis and public debate around the impacts deriving from this bill. 

Arthur Lira
President of the Chamber of Deputies
National Congress
Gabinete 942 - Anexo IV -
Brazilia, Distrito Federal – Brazil
Email: dep.arthurlira@camara.leg.br

Dear Mr. Lira 
I write to express my concern regarding the imminent vote of the Urgency Requirement to process Bill nº 6.764/2002. The legislation proposal aims, among other initiatives, to repeal the National Security Law, enacted during the military dictatorship and widely used to persecute opponents of the regime. However, it reissues and inserts new penalty types that could be used to reinforce the criminalization of social movements and organizations.
At this moment of crisis, Brazilian authorities, which include the National Congress, have the obligation to guarantee the right to health and life of its population. This includes taking the necessary measures for the prevention, treatment and control of the pandemic, based on best available scientific evidence and ensuring that all people have access to health care, without discrimination. In particular, authorities are obligated to ensure availability, access, affordability, acceptability, and quality of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and testing for COVID-19 for all people. This should be done according to the principles of transparency, participation, accountability, equality, and non-discrimination.
I appeal that you do not undertake the request for urgent processing Bill nº 6.764/2002. The voting of this legislation on an urgent basis means, in practice, that the human rights organizations, social movements and other parties won’t be able to properly analyze the Bill and participate in its debate.
I urge you to ensure that any decision-making processes around legislation with such potential impact on human rights is rooted in transparency and the right to information, involving meaningful and effective participation of interested parties. 
Yours sincerely,

Additional information

On 24 March, parliamentarians Margarete Coelho (PP-Piauí) and Hugo Motta (Republicanos-Paraíba) submitted an Urgency Requirement to process Bill nº 6.764/2002. On 7 April, the presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM-Minas Gerais) and Arthur Lira (PP-Alagoas), stated that the appreciation of the proposed legislation is amongst the priorities of both Houses. The voting of this legislation on an urgent basis means, in practice, that essential discussions and evaluations will not be made by the specialized Committees. It also means that social participation won’t be guaranteed and considered as part of the process.
The Legislative Proposal typifies crimes against the “Democratic State of Law”, reissuing part of the crimes and penalties provided by the National Security Law (7.170/1983), enacted during the military dictatorship and widely used to persecute social movements and human rights defenders. Still ruling even after the re-democratization, the use of the National Security Law is increasing, being the subject of at least three constitutional legal claims ADPF (Ação de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental 797, 799 and 816) in the Federal Supreme Court.
It is noteworthy that the Urgency Requirement for the vote on the referred Legislative Proposal comes at a time characterized by a context of increased political violence, hostility against human rights defenders, and criminalization of social movements. Underlining this context, any legislation that deals with this topic must be widely debated in a public and transparent manner.
Besides that, Brazil is going through one of the worst public health crisis in its entire history. According to official data, in the last few days, the country reached the highest death rates in the pandemic. In the past week, more than 4.000 lives were lost every day from Covid-19. In less than 15 days, more than 25,000 people have been victims of the disease, but also of the neglect of public authorities who do not devote sufficient and coordinated efforts to respond to the pandemic. In a year, more than 350.000 deaths were registered, and, according to Brazilian organization Fiocruz, this number is expected to grow exponentially in the coming months. Preventable deaths can be attributed to the authorities that neglected to take appropriate action. 

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: PORTUGUESE
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PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 08 June 2021
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Brazil Population

And copies to:

His Excellency Mr Claudio Frederico De Matos Arruda  
Embassy of Brazil
14/16 Cockspur Street
SW1Y 5BL
020 7747 4500
info.london@itamaraty.gov.br 
http://londres.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/