They are aged 11 to 24 and argue that the forest fires that Portugal has experienced every year since 2017 are the direct result of global warming. They claim that they run the risk of contracting health problems because of these fires, and that they have already suffered from them, in particular sleep disorders, allergies, and breathing difficulties. They filed a complaint in 2020 before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The hearing will take place on September 27.
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These six young Portuguese people, witnesses to devastating forest fires and increasingly severe heat waves, highlight the non-compliance by many European countries with their positive obligations under the right to life (article 2) , the right to respect for private and family life (article 8) of the European Convention on Human Rights. They also raise the question from the angle of the prohibition of ill-treatment (article 3).
The hearing of their case, which will take place before 22 judges. For the lawyers defending the case, this is excellent news, a historic trial that they describe as “David against Goliath”.
The climate crisis, a human rights crisis
The applicants see it as a logical continuation of their fight for the climate. “ Together we are stronger », they say. Andre Dos Santos Oliveira is 15 years old and this young Portuguese, asthmatic, wants to believe it. “ We are bringing this matter to European governments because they are not protecting us, he explains on the microphoneAlice Froussard from RFI. Here in Portugal, we are on the front line of climate emergencies in Europe, as in many parts of the world. This summer we experienced heat waves that continued to get worse. Sometimes these heatwaves prevent us from carrying out normal tasks, such as leaving the house. And these climate crises are getting worse and worse. Our physical health is not the only thing to be affected: all of this obviously influences our mental health. Because we are anxious about our future. And how can you not be worried? Fear, I think, is a completely normal reaction to what we see and to the failure of our governments. It is possible to ensure that this crisis does not spiral completely out of control…. We still have reason to hope. But time is running out “.
Portugal is one of the European countries most affected by forest fires. The deadliest was that of 2017, in the center of the country. The flames, fanned by very violent winds, ravaged some 24,000 hectares of pine and eucalyptus hills for five days, killing 63 people, most of them trapped in their vehicles while trying to flee.
Read alsoPortugal: more than 100,000 hectares burned by forest fires this summer 2022