Today, Tuesday, October 12, an Austrian NGO is filing a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for committing a crime against humanity due to his role in accelerating the eradication of large swathes of the Amazon rainforest during his tenure.

In addition to the large fires that destroyed a large part of them, the Amazon forest is subject to removal operations, whether for urban expansion, or for the exploitation of its wood in various industrial fields.

This case was brought by the Austrian organization "ALLRise", which has been prosecuting environmental aggressors, noting that in 2016 the International Criminal Court expanded its scope to include environmental issues.

The International Criminal Court was established in 2002 as the first court capable of trying individuals accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Crimes against the environment are crimes against humanity, especially that the Amazon rainforest is the lung of the world (Al-Jazeera)

Direct accusation of a crime against humanity

According to the press release issued by the organization, it is not the first time that the Brazilian president has been sued, but this time the new lawsuit has an international character, as the president is accused of causing environmental degradation at the global level and its repercussions on human health.

"Crimes against the environment are crimes against humanity, especially since the Amazon is the lung of the world," Johannes Wesemann, one of the founders of the organization, said in the press release.

He added that "the destruction of the Amazon forest was under the eyes of the Brazilian president and with his knowledge of what is happening to this forest, and the International Criminal Court has all the powers to investigate this crime."

The organization received support from experts in the environment and climate change who provided evidence of the seriousness of what the Brazilian government has done against the environment in the Amazon rainforest. Among these scientists is Dr. Friederike Otto, one of the most prominent experts in the International Panel for Climate Change ).

The destruction of the environment in the Amazon rainforest will cause, according to scientists, the death of more than 180,000 people (Getty Images)

Deforestation could kill 180,000 people

The statement pointed out that the destruction of the environment in the Amazon rainforest will cause, according to scientists' estimates, the death of more than 180,000 people over the next 80 years, either due to pollution or suffocation as a result of the rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Dr. Frederic Otto said in the press release that about 37% of deaths caused by high heat waves and environmental pollution during the past 30 years were due to climate change.

According to the press release, the Amazon rainforest in Brazil is subjected to a horrific removal of 4,000 km each year, and to complicate matters further, the Brazilian government has reduced the number of forest guards by 27 percent and issued laws to reduce penalties for those responsible for logging and excessive exploitation.

Deforestation and vegetation in Brazil emit more greenhouse gases than countries like Italy and Spain combined.