WHEN WORKING IN THE DEFENSE OF LIFE COSTS YOUR OWN LIFE:

VIOLENCE AGAINST BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS’ DEFENDERS IN STATE OF EXCEPTION AND MILITARIZATION TIMES

Abstract

This paper intends to analyze how criminalization and violence against human rights defenders and social movement leaders, although not a novelty of the Brazilian Republic, has deepened and intensified in recent years- especially in political scenario of 2016, after Dilma Rousseff ’s deposition- showing an increase of repressive militarization in the State-civil society’s relationship. The study chooses to base itself on the analyzes of statistics produced by sectors of civil society that work on fronts of defense and guarantee of Human Rights, as is the case of the Brazilian Committee of Human Rights Defenders - CDDH, in its report “ LIVES IN FIGHT: Criminalization and violence against defenders of human rights in Brazil” (2017). This proposed relationship between violence against human rights defenders and Brazilian exceptionalism shows its commitment to the status of Brazil as the country that kills most human rights defenders in the Americas, according to Amnesty International report of the “situation of Human Rights in the world” (2017).