Report: Brazilian president should face 13 criminal charges for Covid errors
October 20, 2021, 6:25 am

Report: Brazilian president should face 13 criminal charges for Covid errors

Brazil-Rio de janeiro/Pixabay

The NDTV reported according to a draft report seen by Reuters, the senator leading a probe into Brazil's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro face 13 criminal charges, including homicide, for decisions that allegedly encouraged the virus' spread and helped lead to more than 600,000 deaths.

According to the report, it remains highly unlikely that Bolsonaro will face a trial on any such charges, which would have to be brought by Brazil's prosecutor general - a presidential nominee. Bolsonaro has dismissed the probe as politically motivated.

The draft report from the probe prepared by Senator Renan Calheiros still needs to be voted on by the Senate and could be vetoed and altered. The vote is scheduled to take place next week.

The presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier on Tuesday, Bolsonaro told supporters the probe was a "joke" and said he was not concerned about it.

Brazil has the second-highest death count due to COVID-19, behind only the United States. Bolsonaro has been widely criticized by public health experts for railing against lockdowns, frequently refusing to wear a mask in public, and declaring he has not yet been vaccinated.

He has also pushed unproven remedies for the illness such as antimalarial hydroxychloroquine.

The nearly 1,200 page document points to Bolsonaro as "principally responsible for the government's errors committed during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The report says that Bolsonaro acted against the advice of his Health Ministry in supporting the use of unproven remedies.

The other crimes the report alleges include: genocide against Brazil's indigenous population, malfeasance, irregular use of public funds, violation of sanitary measures, incitement to crime and forgery of private documents.

The Health Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: ndtv

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”