Entities criticize project that changes law on terror – 04/11/2023 – Panel

Civil society entities expressed in a note their concern about the possibility of approval this Wednesday (12) of a project in the Senate Constitution and Justice Commission that includes a “jabuti” to toughen the anti-terrorism law.

The project is on the agenda and may be approved on a terminating basis, that is, without going through the plenary. The original text was by Senator Styvenson Valentim (Podemos-RN), and dealt only with tougher penalties for crimes such as trafficking and criminal organization.

In the Public Security Commission, however, the text was amended by the rapporteur, Alessandro Vieira (PSDB-SE), to include the inclusion of political manifestations in the crime of terrorism.

This possibility was excluded when the law was created, in 2016, under pressure from leftist parties, concerned about the criminalization of social movements. The discussion has now returned, in the wake of the January 8 coup acts.

After the alteration promoted by Vieira, the bill proposes to equate conduct aimed at causing “civil disturbances” to terrorist acts.

For the entities, this can open a gap for the repression of legitimate manifestations. “The excessive scope of the expression ‘civil disturbances’ goes against international human rights standards and necessarily implies the flexibilization of constitutional rights and guarantees”, says the note.

Ten entities sign the text: Terra de Direitos, Conectas, Article 19, Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences (IBCCRIM), Criminal Justice Network, Global Justice, Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense (IDDD), Sou da Paz Institute, MST and Núcleo Luisa Mahin Popular University Legal Advice, from UFRJ.

The entities add that the very use of the expression “civil disturbance” is inappropriate. “Far from belonging to legal grammar, it is part of the police language of the ‘shock troops'”, they state.

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