Documento - BRASIL. Temor por la seguridad / amenazas de muerte

PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 19/011/2004

22 October 2004

UA 295/04 Fear for Safety/Death threats

BRAZIL Eudo Lustosa Brasil (m)

Other staff working at the Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos do Acre, Acre Human Rights Centre

Human rights defender Eudo Lustosa Brasil recently investigated and made public reports that military police had tortured inmates at a high-security prison in the state of Acre. In the past few days he has survived an attempt on his life, and has received numerous death threats. Amnesty International believes that the attack and threat are directly linked to his work, and he and his colleagues are in grave danger.

He was fired at by three men on motorcycles as he travelled home by motorcycle on 19 October. He escaped unharmed, but two days later he received an anonymous phone call telling him, “isto só foi um aviso, da próxima vez vôce vai debaixo o chão” (that was just a warning, next time you will finish up buried).

Eudo Lustosa Brasil works for the Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos do Acre, Acre Human Rights Centre, based in the state capital, Rio Branco.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the late 1990s the state of Acre was a centre of organised crime and death squad activity involving the state police. The federal deputy who led these activities was imprisoned in 2000, and since then the situation in the state has been safer for human rights defenders. It is important that the authorities move quickly to show that they will not tolerate intimidation or harassment of human rights defenders in any form.

Human rights defenders in Brazil who investigate torture and other abuses committed by members of the police forces and prison services are vulnerable to death threats, intimidation and attack. The federal government has announced that it plans to implement a national program for the protection of human rights defenders. A date for the launch of the program is not yet known.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Portuguese or your own language:

- expressing concern for the safety of Eudo Lustosa Brasil and his colleagues at the Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos do Acre;

- calling for a full investigation into the 20 October attack and death threat against Eudo Lustosa Brasil, and for those responsible to be brought to justice;

- urging the authorities to take all appropriate measures to guarantee the safety of Edu Lustosa Brasil, in accordance with his wishes;

- calling on the authorities to condemn publicly, in the strongest possible terms, any attacks or threats against human rights defenders in Brazil;

- asking for information on the Brazilian government program to protect human rights defenders.

APPEALS TO:

Acre State Governor

Sr. Jorge Ney Viana Macedo Neves

Exmo. Governador Estado do Acre

Governadoria, Escritório de Governo

Av. Brasil 402 - Centro

69900-100 - Rio Branco/AC, Brazil

Fax: + 55 68 223 8355

Salutation: Vossa Excelência /Your Excellency

Acre State Justice and Public Security Secretary

Sr. Fernando Mello da Costa

Exmo. Secretário de Segurança Pública do Estado do Acre

Secretaria de Segurança Pública - SEJUSP

Rua Marechal Deodoro, 219 - 3º andar

69908-000 - Rio Branco /AC, Brazil

Fax: + 55 68 224 0717 (If someone answers say “Fax, por favor.”)

Salutation: Exmo. Sr Secretário / Dear Secretary

Acre State Prosecutor General

Elizeu Buchemeier de Oliveira

Procuradoria-Geral de Justiça

Rua Marechal Deodoro, 360 - Centro

69900-210 - Rio Branco/AC, Brazil

Fax: + 55 68 223 4891

Salutation: Vossa Excelência /Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Federal Human Rights Secretary

Secretário Especial dos Direitos Humanos

Nilmário Miranda

Esplanada dos Ministérios - Bl. - T - 4°andar

70064-900 - Brasília/DF, Brazil

Fax: + 55 61 223 2260

Salutation: Exmo. Sr Secretário / Dear Secretary

NGO

Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos do Acre

Rua Alvorada, Nº 54, Sala 13

Bairro Bosque

6909-380 –Rio Branco/AC, 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 3 December 2004.