Documento - BRASIL: Temor por la seguridad
PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 19/008/2009
02 June 2009
UA 138/09 Fear for safety
BRAZIL Marcelo Freixo, m
Vinicius George, m
State parliamentarian Marcelo Freixo and his aide Vinicius George are at risk of being assassinated by miliciagroups in Rio de Janeiro. Planswere discovered by police when they raided a miliciagroup in May. The raid was part of a long-term police operation against members of miliciagroups who have taken control of over a hundred shanty towns in Rio de Janeiro. Police found letters from the head of a milicia in Rio das Pedras, a bairro in the west of the city, a former sergeant in the military police, requesting support from another miliciagroup to assassinate the two men.
At the end ofthe police operation no efforts were made to detain the head of the Rio das Pedras milicia, who sent the request to assassinate Marcelo Freixo and Vinicius George. Although both men are being provided with some protection Amnesty International believes that this should be reinforced immediately, in accordance with the wishes of both men.
Marcelo Freixo and Vinicius George began to receive death threats in June 2008, when Marcelo Freixo was appointed as president of a parliamentary inquiry (Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito, CPI) into the growth of miliciasin Rio de Janeiro.
The CPI consisted of a panel of elected officials which investigated patterns of state government involvement in the illegal activities of the miliciasbefore presenting a final report, submitted to the state parliament and to the public prosecutor’s office for any potential criminal prosecutions. There is concern however, that municipal, state and federal authorities have not fully implemented recommendations set out in the CPI report, especially those aimed at criminalising and prosecuting the activities that bring them funding. This has meant the milicias continue to expand despite the arrest of a few of its key members.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The miliciasare made up of off-duty police officers, prison guards and firemen who have ousted drug dealers from favelasallegedly offering security. However, they effectively control communities with violence, while extorting money for the provision of security, as well as gas, transport, cable TV and other services. They are accused of wielding political power by guaranteeing, through intimidation, votes for certain state deputies. The miliciashave existed in Rio de Janeiro for some time but their sudden expansion dates back to December 2006, when over 100 favelaswere invaded by miliciagroups.
Attempts to investigate and denounce the role of the miliciasin Rio de Janeiro have been met with threats and violence, including the abduction and torture of three reporters from the newspaper O Dia along with one resident in May 2008 and the bombing of a police station in July.
The growth of the miliciagroups can be attributed to decades of public security policy based on negligence, human rights violations and impunity of perpetrators, allowing criminal and corrupt police officers to thrive at the cost of those working tirelessly to serve the community. Following recent newspaper reports citinglaxsecurity and privileges enjoyed by police officers held in detention in the ‘Batalhão Especial Prisional’, special prison unit, in which police officers are held, there is added concern for the safety of the two men. The report states police investigations have uncovered cases of officers being allowed out of the prison to threaten or kill witnesses. Police investigations have cited the prison as a recruiting ground for assassins. Several militia members are being held there.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Portuguese or your own language:
- ensuring that Marcelo Freixo, Vinicius George all those working to combat the activities of the miliciasare provided with effective protection, in accordance with their wishes;
- urging the authorities to promptly conduct an independent and impartial investigation into all threats against Marcelo Freixo, Vinicius George and those found responsible to be brought to justice;
- urging the authorities to publicly denounce the activities of the miliciasand set out a joint plan, with a clear timeline, to implement all recommendations of the CPI to combat the spread of miliciasand organised crime;
- requesting that effective steps are taken to bring to justice the leaders and the members of the milicias.
- urging the authorities to take immediate steps to investigate the activities in the Batalhão Especial Prisional, and those authorities found to be involved in criminal activity be brought to justice.
APPEALS TO:
Minister of Justice
Exmo. Ministro da Justiça do Brasil
Sr. Tarso Fernando Herz Genro
Ministério da Justiça
Esplanada dos Ministérios,
Bloco "T”
70.712-902 - Brasília/DF, Brazil
Fax: + 55 61 3322 6817
Salutation: Vossa Excelência/Your Excellency
Rio de Janeiro State Governor
Exmo. Governador
Sr. Sérgio de Oliveira Cabral Santos Filho
Palácio Guanabara,
Rua Pinheiro Machado,s/nº – Laranjeiras
22.231-090 – Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
Fax: +55 21 2299 5691
Salutation: Exmo. Governador
Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutors’ Office
Exmo Sr Procurador-Geral de Justiça
Dr. Cláudio Soares Lopes
Av Marechal Câmara, 370, 8º andar - Centro
20.020-080 - Rio de Janeiro/RJ – Brazil
Fax: +55 21 2550-9054
Salutation: Exmo Sr Procurador
COPIES TO:
Rio de Janeiro State Deputy
Sr. Marcelo Freixo
Rua Dom Manoel, s/nº,
Ed. 23 de Julho - Centro
20.010-090 - Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
and to diplomatic representatives of Brazil accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 14 July.