Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed his support on Instagram for the movement of Portuguese climate activists suing 33 countries in the European Court of Human Rights.
DiCaprio took to Instagram to celebrate the six Portuguese children, saying, “Young people in Portugal are fighting against powerful European governments to protect their homelands and livelihoods that have been destroyed by extreme conditions.”
The six activists are a part of the movement Youth 4 Climate Justice and are between the ages of 9 and 22. The young people from Portuguese have sued 33 countries in the European Court of Human Rights for their inaction in tackling climate change.
The activists believe “the climate crisis interferes with their right to life, respect, and even their right not to be discriminated against,” says DiCaprio. “The goal is to legally bind governments to increase emissions cuts locally and internationally,” his post reads.
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DiCaprio also reminded his followers of the Pedrogao Grande wildfires in 2017. In 2021, DiCaprio launched a documentary about the tragedy in Portugal. These wildfires were the deadliest in Portuguese history, with at least 66 deaths.
The six youth applicants first filed this case in September 2022. They are now preparing for a hearing before the 17-judge Grand Chamber against the 33 countries. We do not yet know the date for this.
The six Portuguese activists suing 33 countries over climate change are Mariana (9), Andre (13), Sofia (16), Martim (18), Catarina (20), and Claudia (22). Three of them are from Leiria, a region that has been hit by an increase in wildfires in recent years.
