MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

Rio de Janeiro, October 2, 2021

Report About Violations of the Right of the Child

ATTN: To the Honorable Chair Mikiko Otani of the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child

Re: Situation of Violation by the Federal Government, in particular, President Bolsonaro

to Children's Rights in Brazil

I. Purpose of the Communication

The Submitter's representative comes, respectfully, before the Honorable Chair

Mikiko Otani of the Committee on Children's Rights, to present the following Report on
the Situation of Violation of Children's Human Rights by the Brazilian State, especially
President Bolsonaro in public actions that associate children m with the use of firearms.

II. Submitters

MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS - MNDH, a legal person under

CNPJ/MF nº 32.902.132/0001-03, domiciled at SEPN, Quadra 506, Conjunto C, nº 16,
Loja nº 07, Semi Enterrado, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, CEP 70740- 504 and Instituto Braços-
Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos-Sergipe, Nejusca-UFSC, Fórum Cearense da
Luta Antimanicomial, Acesso Cidadania e Direitos Humanos, Agência Nacional dos
Direitos da Infância-ANDI, Aliança Nacional LGBTI+, Associação Brasileira de ONGs-
ABONG, Associação de Usuários e Familiares dos Serviços de Saúde Mental de
Alagoas-Assuma, Associação dos Usuários dos Serviços de Saúde Mental de Minas
Gerais-Assuam-MG), Avante-Educação e Mobilização Social, CAMP-Escola de
Cidadania, Organização de Direitos Humanos Projeto Legal, Campanha Nacional pelo
Direito à Educação, Canal Outras Vozes Neves, Casa Marielle Franco / Minas Gerais,
Central de Cooperativas Unisol Brasil, Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos de
Petrópolis RJ, Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos Dom Tomás Balduíno – Marapé
ES, Centro de Direitos Econômicos e Sociais – CDES Direitos Humanos, Centro de
Direitos Humanos de Sapopemba – CDH, Centro de Direitos Humanos Dom Máximo
_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

Biennes MT, Centro de Direitos Humanos e Educação Popular (CDHEP), Centro de

Promoção da Cidadania e Defesa dos Direitos Humanos Pe. Josimo, Centro Gaspar
Garcia de Direitos Humanos, Centro Internacional de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre a
Infância (CIESPI), Cineclube Indômitas, Coletivo Baiano da Luta Antimanicomial,
Coletivo Parque da Resistência, Coletivo ReUniR – Rede Unidade e Resistência,
Comissão de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos de Maués (CDDH), Comissão de Direitos
Humanos de Passo Fundo (CDHPF), Comissão Municipal de Reforma Psiquiátrica
(CMRP) do Conselho Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, Comitê Goiano de Direitos
Humanos Dom Tomás Balduino, Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em
Estabelecimentos de Ensino (Contee), Conselho Tutelar Barreiro Belo Horizonte, MG,
Conselho Tutelar de Venda Nova Belo Horizonte MG, Diretório Acadêmico Escípio
Cunha Lobo do Instituto de Psicologia da PUC-MG, Escola Educare - São Roque SP,
FAOR Fórum da Amazônia Oriental, Federação das Associações de Moradores e
Entidades Comunitárias de Alagoas (Famecal), Federação dos Sindicato Dos Auxiliares
de Administração Escolar MG (Fesaaemg), Fórum da Cidadania de
Santos/Concidadania, Fórum de Direitos Humanos e da Terra do Mato Grosso, Fórum
de Saúde Mental de Maceió, Fórum Mineiro de Saúde Mental, Fórum Sobre
Medicalização da Educação e da Sociedade, Grupo Autônomo Feminista OFICINAS
MULHER GO, Grupo de Apoio à Adoção Ana Gonzaga Zona Norte, Grupo Tortura Nunca
Mais da Bahia, Grupo Violes, GTPA-Fórum EJA/DF, Indômitas Coletiva Feminista,
Instituto Brasil Central (IBRACE), Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas
(Ibase), Instituto da Advocacia Negra Brasileira, Instituto da Infância (IFAN), Instituto
de estudos socioeconômicos (INESC), Instituto EcoVida, Instituto Fazendo História,
Instituto Federal Catarinense, Instituto IDhES – Direitos Humanos, Econômicos e
Sociais, Irmãs de São Jose de Rochester, Movimento Negro Unificado Juiz de Fora MG
(MNU), Movimento Pró-Saúde Mental do Distrito Federal, Movimentos de Mães da
AMAR do Rio de Janeiro, Núcleo de Educação em Direitos Humanos (NEDH – Bauru
SP), Núcleo de Estudos para a Paz e Direitos Humanos (NEP/UnB), ObservaLAtrata,
Observatório de Educação em Direitos Humanos / Unesp, PDT Municipal – Juiz de Fora
MG, Projeto Sudoeste tem dendê! Capoeira Angola aberta à comunidade – Játaí/GO,
Rede Nacional Internúcleos da Luta Antimanicomial, Rede Nacional Primeira Infância
(RNPI), Sindicato dos Auxiliares de Administração Escolar da Região Sul de MG
(SAAESUL/MG), Sindicato dos Professores do Ensino Privado do Rio Grande do Sul
(Sinpro/RS), Sindicato dos Professores do Estado de Goiás (SINPRO GO), Sindicato dos
Professores do Estado de Minas Gerais (Sinpro MG), União Brasileira de Mulheres
(UBM Neves), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Universidade de Brasília, Usina da
Imaginação, Centro de Defesa de Direitos Humanos da Serra, through its attorneys

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

under the power of attorney, come before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child,
to formulate the REPORT, on the following facts:

III. Victims

The victims are all children who had their images associated with the use of
firearms and the arms policy by President Bolsonaro.

IV. Perpetrator

The Federative Republic of Brazil, member of the United Nations, a subscriber

with the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 21 November 1990,
and with recognition of the International System of Human Rights regarding the Human
Rights Council of the United Nations, through the Decree nº 19.841, on 22 October 1945
(Promulgates the Charted of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco, on 26 June
1945).

V. Information About the Violations of the Child’s Right

The policy of supporting the armaments in Brazil, with the liberation on the
possession of weapons, is an important part of the President's campaign and his political
appeal. For this reason, on several occasions, whether during the electoral campaign or
his participation in public events as the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro encourages
and demonstrates his support for the armaments policy.

One of the main ways of demonstrating support for the population's arms policy,
which remains as the President's trademark, is to make the signal of a weapon with his
hand, as shown in the photos below.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

However, the situation that deserves to be identified as a violation of human

rights occurs when the President uses children to stimulate the Brazilian arms policy.

In this sense, the most recent record occurred during a public event in Belo
Horizonte, on September 30, 2021, in which President Bolsonaro lifted a child in his lap,
dressed in the Military Police uniform and holding a toy gun.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

Also in this event, which is part of the agenda of a thousand days of the
government and was broadcast by TV Brasil, the child made a show of strength with
about 10 push-ups with the support of the President and Ministers present.1 After the
demonstration, the President went to the pulpit and congratulated the child's parents
"for this example of civility, patriotism and respect."2

It is necessary to mention that the association of children by President Bolsonaro

in supporting the arms policy is a recurrent situation and can be pointed out on several
occasions.

In July 2018, amidst the electoral campaign, then-candidate Jair Bolsonaro

taught a child how to make the handgun sign and performed the gun sign while the child
was in his lap during a public event in Goiânia.3

1
Bolsonaro ergue arma de brinquedo ao lado de criança com farda da PM em BH
(correiobraziliense.com.br)
2
Em BH, Bolsonaro elogia criança com arma de brinquedo: 'patriotismo e civilidade' (yahoo.com)
3
Bolsonaro ensina criança a imitar arma com a mão - Jornal O Globo
_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

In October 2019, President Bolsonaro posed for photos with a child dressed in a
Military Police uniform and with a toy gun in his hands. The child pointed the gun in the
air and received a positive gesture from the President.4

4
Criança com farda da PM e arma de brinquedo na mão posa para fotos com Bolsonaro | São Paulo | G1
(globo.com)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

In April 2021, President Bolsonaro participated in the inauguration ceremony of

the Pavilion of Fairs and Exhibitions of the Amazonas Convention Center, an event in
which the President lifted a child dressed in police uniform and holding a toy gun.5
According to the video:

Given the above situations, it is clear that there is a recurrent situation carried
out by the President in associating children in the support and encouragement of the
use of firearms.

It urges to point out, in addition to the clear violations of human rights of children
recognized in the situations presented, as elaborated below, that the manufacture, sale
and import of toys, replicas and simulacra of firearms are prohibited in accordance with
the article 26 of the Statute of Disarmament.

VI. Legal Framework

The situation discussed here, the recurrent action of associating children with
the use of firearms results in violations of children's human rights and fundamental
rights provided for in national instruments.

5
Em Manaus, Bolsonaro segura no colo criança com arma de brinquedo | Poder360
_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

The Federal Constitution in article 227 establishes the basic duty of the State
towards children and adolescents:

“It is the duty of the family, society and the State to ensure
children, adolescents and young people, with absolute priority,
the right to life, health, food, education, leisure,
professionalization, culture, dignity, respect, freedom and family
and community coexistence, in addition to keeping them safe
from all forms of negligence, discrimination, exploitation,
violence, cruelty and oppression.” [our translation]

This article is understood as a principle that governs the Brazilian legal system in
this matter, establishing fundamental rights for children and adolescents.

It is noteworthy that such State duties must be performed "with absolute

priority," that is, putting into effect the primacy and best interest of children and
adolescents in Government actions, as provided for in the aforementioned article of the
Federal Constitution and Article 4 of the Statute of Children and Adolescents (ECA).

The idea of priority in protecting the best interests of the child is also provided
for in article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and governs the entire
international order that seeks to protect this vulnerable group.

Faced with this legal scenario of child protection in which violations arising from
the use and association of the image of children with the use of weapons and with the
arms policy.

In this sense, the situations presented here violate the right to honor and
reputation of children as provided for in article 16 of the Convention:

“Article 16:

1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference

with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to
unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.

2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such
interference or attacks.”

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

The association of the image of children with firearms also disrespects the human
dignity of this already vulnerable group and being contrary to the international human
rights and fundamental rights present in the Federal Constitution and the Child and
Adolescent Statute.

In this sense, Article 1 of the Constitution recognizes the dignity of the human
person as the foundation of the Brazilian State. Likewise, the ECA states that children
and adolescents enjoy all fundamental rights inherent to the human person, including
the right to image and honor as provided for in article 5, X of the Constitution.

Furthermore, it is mentioned that the Brazilian State has a duty to protect

children from being exposed to any form of violence, making it clear that encouraging
the use of weapons must be understood as a stimulus to violence.

Furthermore, it is emphasized that firearms cannot be part of the daily lives of

children, and the naturalization of the image of children carrying weapons, even if they
are toys, violates the principles of child protection provided for in the Convention. Even
more serious when such association and naturalization of the use of firearms by children
is encouraged by a President.

Therefore, the association of the images of children with the use of weapons
violates the treatment due to this group and disrespects human rights as provided for
by the Convention on the Rights of Children, which is why it is necessary for this
Committee to act in the face of the violating situations presented.

In conclusion, there is no doubt about the violations of human rights against

children by associating their image with the use of weapons and arms policy, in
particular, given the behavior of President Bolsonaro.

VII. Conclusion

The situation involving the association of children with the use of weapons,
especially by President Bolsonaro, is a clear violation of the human rights of children as
established by international human rights instruments.

In this regard, the Submitter requests the Honorable President Mikiko Otani of
the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to issue a Public Note on the
aforementioned facts, urging the Brazilian State to respect the norms of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially regarding violations dignity and image

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF
 MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Luta pela Vida, Contra a Violência

of the children in the situations presented in which President Bolsonaro associates their
image with the use of firearms and arms policy in Brazil.

CARLOS NICODEMOS
OAB/RJ 75.208

MARIA FERNANDA FERNANDES CUNHA

OAB/RJ 233.268

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endereço para contato junto ao Escritório da SMDH em Brasília
SGAN 914 – Conjunto F – Casa 02 – Aldeias Infantis SOS – Asa Norte – 70790-140 – Brasília – DF