Brazil slams UN rights chief over democracy concerns

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday blasted human rights comments of UN rights chief on South American nation.

"Michelle Bachelet, UN Commissioner for Human Rights, following [French President Emmanuel] Macron's line in meddling in the internal affairs and sovereignty of Brazil, invests against Brazil in the human rights agenda (of bandits), attacking our brave military and civil police," Bolsonaro tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Bachelet voiced concerns about human rights restrictions in Brazil.

"In recent months, we have observed a reduction of the civic and democratic space, characterized by attacks against human rights defenders, restrictions imposed on civil society work," she told a news conference in Geneva.

Bolsonaro recently accused Macron of disrespecting Brazil's sovereignty after French president announced the decision of G7 countries to provide €20 million ($22.2 million) to Amazonian countries to fight ever-increasing rainforest fires.

Macron during the recent G7 summit in the French coastal town of Biarritz said the Brazilians should not vote for Bolsonaro again.

Macron has "different intentions" behind the idea of a G7 alliance to save the Amazon and is treating the region "as if we were a colony or a nobody's land," said Bolsonaro, who added that Macron's "unreasonable attacks" on the Amazon are not acceptable.

Brazilian president, since the inception of his term in January, has been under fire from environmental groups and Indigenous people over his alleged role in deforesting the Amazon in a bid to create suitable land for new business opportunities.