Brazil | CEJIL

Brazil must investigate and punish crimes committed under military dictatorship

Inter-American Court of Human Rights issues historic ruling

Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Washington D.C, December 14, 2010 – In a historical ruling announced today, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Brazil guilty for the forced disappearance of at least 70 peasants and militants of the resistance movement known as the Araguaia Guerrilla between 1972 and 1974 under the military dictatorship. Brazil is a signatory of the American Convention on Human Rights; the ruling is therefore binding.

Wed, 12/15/2010

Washington D.C, December 14, 2010 – In a historical ruling announced today, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Brazil guilty for the forced disappearance of at least 70 peasants and militants of the resistance movement known as the Araguaia Guerrilla between 1972 and 1974 under the military dictatorship. Brazil is a signatory of the American Convention on Human Rights; the ruling is therefore binding.

This first ruling against Brazil for crimes committed under the dictatorship will contribute to ensuring the non-repetition of the violations and to open up a public debate around the legacy of the authoritarian regime.

Since 1995, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) has been advocating on behalf of the victims and their families before the Inter-American system of human rights protection, together with the Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais [‘No More Torture Group’] and the Sao Paulo Commission of Family Members of the Persons Killed and Disappeared for Political Reasons.

Throughout the process they proved Brazil´s international responsibility for the forced disappearance of the victims, for the total impunity of these crimes and for the lack of effective procedures to establish the truth. They requested various reparation measures which ranged from integral reparation for the victims and their families, to wider measures affecting Brazilian society as a whole, including the right to truth and justice. Highlights of the facts, violations and reparations established by the ruling are listed below:

The Inter-American Court dictated that the victims were disappeared by State agents. The judgment establishes that Brazil violated the right to justice with regards to its international obligation to investigate, process and punish those responsible for the forced disappearances, in virtue of an interpretation of the Brazilian Amnesty Law, which allowed for crimes to remain totally unresolved for over 30 years.

The ruling also established that this interpretation of the Law, reaffirmed recently by the Federal Supreme Court, is contrary to international law. In the words of the Court “The provisions of the Brazilian Amnesty Law that prevent the investigation and sanctioning of severe human rights violations are incompatible with the American Convention, have no legal effects and cannot continue to stand in the way of investigating the facts of this case."

The ruling therefore requires the State to remove all practical and judicial obstacles to investigating the crimes, to establishing the truth as well as the responsibility of those involved. The Court also reaffirmed the general implications of its decision by ordering that the provisions of the Amnesty Law, that represent a barrier to criminal investigations, cannot present an obstacle to hearing other severe cases of human rights violations.

With regards to the absence of official information, the Court significantly advanced the requirements for the protection of the right to access information, including the principle of maximum disclosure and the need to justify any refusal to provide information. The Court also ruled that Brazil must put its legislation on access to information in line with what is established by the American Convention.

Finally, regarding the State´s refusal to guarantee the families of the victims´ right to truth for over thirty years, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found that, in light of their suffering, the State was responsible for psychological torture and determined the following reparations, among others: the obligation to investigate the facts, to hold a public act recognizing its responsibility, to actively search for and locate the mortal remains of those disappeared, the organisation and publication of all information on the Araguaia Guerilla and the violations of human rights which took place under the military dictatorship in Brazil.

The Inter-American Human Rights Court ruling in the case of Gomes Lund (Guerrilla de Araguaia) and others is paradigmatic. Not only will it contribute to reconstructing historical memory for future generations and establishing the truth but above all, to building new democratic standards and practices.
According to Votoria Grabois, family member and Vice President of the No More Torture Group in Rio de Janeiro: “The lack of information over more than 30 years caused the families of the Araguaia Guerrilla members anguish, suffering and mistrust towards the Brazilian institutions. The Court´s judgment renews our hope in justice.”

In the words of Beatriz Affonso, program director for CEJIL in Brazil: “We hope that Dilma Roussef´s administration will demonstrate that democratic governments cannot ignore the crimes of the past and that she will take positive steps to address this situation. The Judiciary, part of the Brazilian State, must implement the decision to promote and investigate the crimes committed under the dictatorship. All Brazilian citizens must know that under today´s democracy, nobody is above the law, not even the public and private agents, civilians and military, involved in the crimes against citizens in the name of repression.”

According to Crimeia Schmidt de Almeida, family member and President of the Sao Paulo Commission of Family Members of the Persons Killed and Disappeared for Political Reasons: “ This judgment might represent an important step towards a renewed democracy in our country, eliminating dictatorial hindrances that still persist in the practices of State agents. As a family member I hope that this can put an end to so many uncertainties and anguish that have marked our lives for almost 40 years.”

In light of this, Executive Director of CEJIL, Viviana Krsticevic said: “Latin America has made significant progress in solving the crimes against humanity committed under dictatorships. Yet, Brazil has not fulfilled its outstanding obligations towards the families of victims as well as society with regards to the establishment of truth and justice related to this issue. This judgment represents a unique opportunity for Brazil to demonstrate that it is able to take the lead on human rights and democracy. For this to happen, Brazil must render ineffective the aspects of the Amnesty Law that represent a barrier to justice regarding crimes against humanity.”

Media Contacts:

Milli Legrain, Communications Coordinator, Washington D.C (1) 202 319 3000, mlegrain@cejil.org, www.cejil.orgBeatriz Affonso, Director of CEJIL Brazill, (55-21) 2533-1660, brasil@cejil.org

Criminal complaint against military officer involved in dictatorship disappearances represents landmark in search for justice

Charges mark beginning of search for justice following Inter-American Court sentence in “Araguaia Guerrilla” case

Washington D.C and Rio de Janeiro, March 14, 2012 – The Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) welcomes the decision by federal prosecutors to press charges against Sebastião Curió Rodrigues de Moura, a member of the military, for the kidnapping of five disappeared members of the Araguaia guerrilla, an insurgency group opposed to the military dictatorship. This is an important step in the search for justice for the grave crimes committed by State and private agents in the name of military repression in Brazil. These have remained unpunished for over 30 years due to a particular interpretation of an amnesty law dating back to 1979.

The complaint filed today comes 15 months after an international decision was issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Gomes Lund vs Brazilcase, also known as “the Guerrilha do Araguaia” case. The case was litigated by CEJIL as well as the Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais-RJ and the Comissão de Familiares de Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos. The recent announcement to file a criminal complaint pertains to five of the victims mentioned in the sentence issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Wed, 03/14/2012

Washington D.C and Rio de Janeiro, March 14, 2012 – The Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) welcomes the decision by federal prosecutors to press charges against Sebastião Curió Rodrigues de Moura, a member of the military, for the kidnapping of five disappeared members of the Araguaia guerrilla, an insurgency group opposed to the military dictatorship. This is an important step in the search for justice for the grave crimes committed by State and private agents in the name of military repression in Brazil. These have remained unpunished for over 30 years due to a particular interpretation of an amnesty law dating back to 1979.

The complaint filed today comes 15 months after an international decision was issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Gomes Lund vs Brazil case, also known as “the Guerrilha do Araguaia” case. The case was litigated by CEJIL as well as the Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais-RJ and the Comissão de Familiares de Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos. The recent announcement to file a criminal complaint pertains to five of the victims mentioned in the sentence issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The Inter-American Court decision that was formally announced in December 2010 condemns Brazil for the forced disappearance of 70 victims and the impunity that followed. The Court determined that a criminal investigation into the facts must be undertaken to identify and punish those responsible. Brazil was therefore ordered to adapt its norms to international standards in order to guarantee justice and truth. As a result, numerous family members of victims pressed charges at the office of the Public Prosecutor requesting an investigation into the forced disappearances of their family members. The office of the Public Prosecutor then set up a working group to establish responsibility for dictatorship crimes.

CEJIL congratulates these family members because this step forward in domestic justice is the result of their tireless struggle. Many Latin American countries have made themselves accountable for crimes committed in the past by prosecuting perpetrators of dictatorship crimes and armed conflicts. For Brazil, this step forward now depends on the Judiciary respecting international standards, processing the criminal complaint and providing justice to the families of the victims.

Brazil´s judicial authorities must now decide how they will deal with these grave violations. Forced disappearances are considered an “ongoing crime” until the person or body is found. The Inter-American Court ruled that “the provisions of the Brazilian Amnesty Law that impedes the investigation and punishment of serious human rights violations lack legal effect. As a consequence, they cannot continue to represent an obstacle in the investigation of the facts in the present case, nor for the identification and punishment of those responsible, nor can they have equal or similar impact regarding other cases of serious human rights violations.”

Thus, Viviana Krsticevic, CEJIL´s Executive Director said that “The filing of this complaint is key to ensuring that Crimes Against Humanity do not go unpunished under a political or legal pretext. Now that the prosecutors have taken this important step, the judicial authorities must demonstrate their courage and commitment to truth and justice so that the criminal investigations bear fruit.

“Brazil must see this process through and ensure that all those materially and intellectually responsible for the grave crimes committed by the military dictatorship in Brazil are investigated and prosecuted in the name of democracy”, added Beatriz Affonso, Program Director for CEJIL in Brazil.

Contact in Brazil
Beatriz Affonso
Natália Frickmann
Tel: 55 (21) 2533-1660
brasil@cejil.org
www.cejil.org

Contact in Washington D.C
Milli Legrain
202 319 3000
mlegrain@cejil.org

One year later: still no justice or truth in Brazil

Anniversary of Inter-American Court sentence in Gomes Lund v. Brazil case (also known as “Guerrilha do Araguaia”)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 14, 2011. The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais do Rio de Janeiro (GTNM/RJ), Comissão de Familiares de Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos voice their concern for the lack of diligence in fully implementing the sentence in the “Guerrilha do Araguaia” case.
On December 14, 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a sentence in the Gomes Lund and others v. Brazil case, condemning Brazil for the forced disappearance of 70 people, for the lack of adequate procedures to establish the truth and for the ongoing impunity of crimes committed 38 years earlier.

Thu, 12/15/2011

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 14, 2011. The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais do Rio de Janeiro (GTNM/RJ), Comissão de Familiares de Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos voice their concern for the lack of diligence in fully implementing the sentence in the “Guerrilha do Araguaia” case.

On December 14, 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a sentence in the Gomes Lund and others v. Brazil case, condemning Brazil for the forced disappearance of 70 people, for the lack of adequate procedures to establish the truth and for the ongoing impunity of crimes committed 38 years earlier.

On the sentence´s first anniversary, the organizations representing the victims denounce that Brazil has only partially fulfilled its obligations to individually repair the families of the victims who were disappeared. The deadline to do so was today.

In April 2010, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that the amnesty law of 1979 could constitutionally be extended to those who committed crimes in the name of the dictatorship. In spite of this, only eight months later, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its sentence in the Guerrilha do Araguaia case and determined that the State must criminally investigate the facts of the case, determine criminal responsibility and place sanctions as stated by the Law. The Court ruled that “the provisions of the Brazilian Amnesty Law that impedes the investigation and punishment of serious human rights violations lack legal effect. As a consequence, they cannot continue to represent an obstacle in the investigation of the facts in the present case, nor for the identification and punishment of those responsible, nor can they have equal or similar impact regarding other cases of serious human rights violations.”

We recognize that some steps have been taken by the Brazilian State, including the creation of a Truth Commission and the approval of an Access to Information Law. These efforts may contribute to facilitating access to information and bringing to light the repressive structures that were in place, by reconstructing the historical context of the military dictatorship, under which these violations were committed.

However, to date, those responsible for the crimes committed under the dictatorship, particularly those of the Gomes Lund case, have still not been taken to court. These steps are therefore insufficient. Judicial truth must also be established through individual trials. The Court´s sentence notified in December 2010 specifically expresses that: “the activities and information that this [Truth] Commission will eventually obtain do not substitute the obligation of the State to establish the truth and ensure the legal determination of individual responsibility by means of criminal legal procedures.”

The Office of the Public Prosecutor in Brazil is currently carrying out investigations on the facts of the case. It is crucial that the Judiciary Branch, and particularly the Supreme Court, now act to ensure that the Amnesty Law does not continue to be a barrier against investigations and sanctions for crimes against humanity committed under the dictatorship.

The Inter-American Court´s sentence cannot be appealed. Therefore, as a signatory of the American Convention on Human Rights in 1992, and after accepting the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court in 1998, Brazil has the international obligation to comply with the sentence in good faith.

The lack of investigation and judicial proceedings for the severe violations of human rights committed by State and private agents under the military dictatorship confirms Brazil´s resistance to combatting impunity for crimes against humanity. This has a negative impact on the consolidation of democracy in Brazil today.
The complete sentence is available in English here: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_219_ing.pdf

Contact in Rio de Janeiro:
Beatriz Affonso
Program Director for CEJIL in Brazil
(55 - 21) 2533-1660
affonso@cejil.org

Contact in Washington D.C:
Milli Legrain
Communications Coordinator
202 319 3000
mlegrain@cejil.org

CEJIL will participate in twelve hearings and five working meetings during the 143rd Session of the Inter-American Commission

Two witnesses in cases from Mexico and Honduras will travel to Washington for the hearings

Washington D.C., October 21, 2011 – Beginning Monday, October 24 through Friday, October 28, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) – together with more than 50 Latin American civil society organizations – will participate in twelve public hearings and five private working meetings before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington D.C. during its 143^rd Session.

Two specific cases previously admitted by the Commission will be highlighted among the public hearings: Opario Lemoth Morris and Others (Buzos Miskitos) v. Honduras and Jesús Ángel Gutiérrez Olvera v. México. Both hearings will include appearances by victims who have travelled to Washington to testify.

143^er

Fri, 10/21/2011

Washington D.C., October 21, 2011 – Beginning Monday, October 24 through Friday, October 28, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) – together with more than 50 Latin American civil society organizations – will participate in twelve public hearings and five private working meetings before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington D.C. during its 143^rd Session.

Two specific cases previously admitted by the Commission will be highlighted among the public hearings: Opario Lemoth Morris and Others (Buzos Miskitos) v. Honduras and Jesús Ángel Gutiérrez Olvera v. México. Both hearings will include appearances by victims who have travelled to Washington to testify.

In addition, CEJIL will participate in various regional thematic hearings on pressing human rights issues, including: human rights defenders in Central America, security in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, and the rights of the LGBTI community across the continent.

At the national level, CEJIL and its co-petitioners will denounce problems related to political rights in Nicaragua, women’s rights in Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and the María da Penha law on domestic violence in Brazil. In addition, CEJIL and its counterparts will denounce the denial of the right to nationality for Dominicans of Haitian descent and the conditions for access to public information in Venezuela, as well as the violence faced by rural population of Bajo Aguán, Honduras.

Moreover, the IACHR has called for four official working meetings on October 26. These will be related to compliance with friendly settlements and recommendations of the Commission in three important cases from Peru - Mamérita Mestanza, MM and the case of the Joint Press Release of February 22, 2001 – as well as one on femicide in Honduras and one on a case from El Salvador concerning the assassination of six Jesuit priests and their housekeepers, the assassination of Monseñor Romero, and the Las Hojas Massacre.

The hearings will be broadcast live on the website of the Organization of American States here. The schedule of CEJIL’s hearings can be found here.

Washington Contact:

Milli Legrain

mlegrain@cejil.org

+(1) 202-319 3000

Contact in Costa Rica:

Darío Chinchilla

dchinchilla@cejil.org

+(506) 2281-3280

CEJIL welcomes the creation of a UN Special Rapporteurship on Truth, Justice, and Reparation

This new body will coordinate actions with the Inter-American System of Human Rights

Washington, DC, September 29, 2011. - The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) welcomes today’s decision made by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution that appoints a special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. The resolution was adopted by consensus and received wide support, as it was co-sponsored by more than 75 countries.

Thu, 09/29/2011

Washington, DC, September 29, 2011. - The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) welcomes today’s decision made by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution that appoints a special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. The resolution was adopted by consensus and received wide support, as it was co-sponsored by more than 75 countries.

CEJIL specifically applauds the stated purpose of coordinated action between the rapporteurship and the organs of the Inter-American System for Human Rights, which could translate into a better compliance of international obligations pertaining to human rights.

The rapporteur has the challenge of ensuring that States make progress in revoking laws that guarantee impunity, as well as proposing public policies and laws that guarantee the right to reparation.

CEJIL believes that the new mechanism should resume studies conducted by the United Nations regarding amnesties and impunity. Equally important would be to defend the right to file an appeal and obtain reparations for victims of violations of the international human rights law and gross violations of international humanitarian law.

The person in charge of the rapporteurship will have a three-year mandate and will report annually to the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly.

The rapporteur’s duties will include: a) to contribute, upon request, to the provision of technical assistance; b) to gather relevant information on national situations, including on the normative framework, on national practices and experiences, such as truth and reconciliation commissions and other mechanisms, relating to the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence in addressing gross violations of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, and to study trends, developments and challenges and to make recommendations thereon; c) to identify, exchange and promote good practices and lessons learned, as well as to identify potential additional elements with a view to recommend ways and means to improve and strengthen the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; and, d) to make recommendations concerning, inter alia, judicial and non-judicial measures when designing and implementing strategies, policies and measures for addressing gross violations of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law.

During the rapporteur’s mandate a study will be undertaken to promote “a systematic and coherent approach on issues pertaining to the mandate,” which will compile information from different sources. The rapporteurship will have to “work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, other special procedures of the Human Rights Council, and with other relevant actors.”

“Without any doubt, this decision contributes to making a reality of the rights to truth, justice, and the reparation for millions of victims of gross human rights violations and survivors worldwide,” stated CEJIL’s Executive Director, Viviana Krsticevic.

Krsticevic added that the wide support the resolution has received is vital for ensuring this mechanism’s legitimacy and efficacy.

“We hope that the work of the new rapporteurship will allow for a qualitative leap when addressing the thematic in various countries across Latin America – such as Brazil, Uruguay, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, and Mexico, amongst other nations – that still require significant progress in guaranteeing these fundamental rights and the fight against impunity,” she concluded.

Sessions of the Inter-American Court: Gomes Lund v. Brazil (Araguaia Guerrilla)

Los días 20 y 21 de mayo de 2010, a partir de las 9:00 horas, la Corte escuchará en audiencia pública las declaraciones de presuntas víctimas, testigos y peritos propuestos por los representantes de las presuntas víctimas, la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos y el Estado. Asimismo, el Tribunal escuchará los alegatos finales orales de las partes sobre las excepciones preliminares y los eventuales fondo, reparaciones y costas en el presente caso.
Antecedentes
Los hechos de este caso se relacionan con la alegada detención arbitraria, tortura y desaparición forzada de 70 personas, entre miembros del Partido Comunista de Brasil y campesinos de la región, resultado de operaciones del Ejército brasileño entre 1972 y 1975 con el objeto de erradicar a la Guerrilla do Araguaia, en el contexto de la dictadura militar de Brasil. Asimismo, la Comisión afirmó que sometía el caso al conocimiento de la Corte porque, en virtud de la Ley de Amnistía, el Estado no llevó a cabo una investigación penal con el objeto de sancionar a las personas responsables de la desaparición forzada de 70 presuntas víctimas y la ejecución extrajudicial de María Lucia Petit da Silva; porque los recursos judiciales de naturaleza civil con miras a obtener información sobre los hechos no han sido efectivos; porque las medidas legislativas y administrativas adoptadas por el Estado han restringido indebidamente el derecho de acceso a la información de los familiares, y porque la desaparición de las presuntas víctimas, la ejecución de María Lucia Petit da Silva, la impunidad de sus responsables y la falta de acceso a la justicia, a la verdad y a la información, han afectado negativamente la integridad personal de sus familiares.

Thu, 05/20/2010 - 12:00 - Fri, 05/21/2010 - 20:00

Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos

San José, Costa Rica

CEJIL Calls Brazil to Acknowledge International Responsibility for Disappearances

Crimes Committed During Military Dictatorship

For the first time the Inter-American Court on Human Rights will judge in the first semester of 2010 crimes committed in Brazil during military dictatorship. At the approach of the trial, CEJIL called the Brazilian State to recognize its international responsibility for the disappearance of about 70 people between 1972 and 1975.

Wed, 12/09/2009

Washington D.C., 9 de diciembre de 2009.

Por primera vez la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos juzgará en el primer semestre de 2010 crímenes cometidos en Brasil durante la dictadura militar. Ante la cercanía del juicio, el Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL) hizo un llamado al Estado brasileño para que reconozca su responsabilidad internacional por la desaparición de unas 70 personas entre 1972 y 1975.

Brasil enfrenta una demanda ante la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos por la detención arbitraria, tortura y desaparición de miembros del Partido Comunista y campesinos, que fueron víctimas de operaciones emprendidas entre 1972 y 1975 por el Ejército brasileño para erradicar a la Guerrilla de Araguaia, un movimiento que pretendió combatir a la dictadura militar que gobernó Brasil entre 1964 y 1985.

Aunque dentro de Brasil las autoridades del Estado han expresado su respaldo y solidaridad a los familiares de las víctimas, en instancias internaciones se niegan a reconocer la responsabilidad en los crímenes cometidos por agentes estatales durante la dictadura.

“El Estado tiene que allanarse y aceptar su responsabilidad, para que la sociedad brasileña vea realizada su aspiración de conocer las acciones cometidas durante la dictadura militar y asegurar que haya justicia para los perpetradores”, dijo Beatriz Affonso, directora del programa de CEJIL para Brasil.

“Hasta ahora el Estado ha tenido un doble discurso: uno en el que lamenta lo ocurrido y se solidariza con las víctimas dentro de Brasil y otro, hacia afuera, en el que evita reconocer los crímenes cometidos por agentes del Estado durante la dictadora. Exigimos coherencia”, enfatizó Affonso.

El juicio contra Brasil también se relaciona con la Ley de Amnistía promulgada por el gobierno militar de Brasil, con base en la cual el Estado no investigó los hechos denunciados, y con el secreto permanente de archivos oficiales en algunos temas establecido por la Ley 11.111 del 5 de mayo de 2005.

El caso fue presentado ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) en 1995 por CEJIL, Human Rights Watch, el Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais y la Comisión de Familiares de Muertos y Desaparecidos Políticos de São Paulo. En marzo de 2001 la CIDH admitió el caso y en marzo de 2008 lo elevó a la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.

CEJIL también expresó su preocupación por las potestades que tendría la nueva Comisión de Verdad, Justicia y Reparación, que quedará establecida en el Tercer Plan Nacional de Derechos Humanos, que será dado a conocer el próximo 15 de diciembre.

El 14 de diciembre, CEJIL y las organizaciones copeticionarias darán a conocer su propuesta en una conferencia de prensa en la sede de la Asociación de Corresponsales Internacionales de Brasil, en Río de Janeiro.

“Los familiares de los desaparecidos y las organizaciones peticionarias hemos pedido la creación de una Comisión de Verdad y Justicia, pero el último borrador del Plan Nacional de Derechos Humanos parece más bien instituir una Comisión de reconciliación y perdón. No puede haber verdadera reconciliación sin que primero haya verdad y justicia acerca de las violaciones a los derechos humanos ocurridas durante la dictadura militar”, dijo Beatriz Affonso.

Contacto de prensa:

Mauricio Herrera.

Director de Comunicación.

(202) 319-3000 (202) 445-4676.

mherrera@cejil.org.

El Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL) es una organización de defensa y promoción de los derechos humanos en el hemisferio americano. El objetivo principal de CEJIL es asegurar la plena implementación de normas internacionales de derechos humanos en los Estados miembros de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), mediante el uso efectivo del sistema interamericano de derechos humanos y otros mecanismos de protección internacional.

Rural slavery and violence persist and grow in Brazil

Non-government organization reported today on the situation of human rights in Brazil. They informed that rural violence tends grow, slave labor extends its geographical reach and the criminalization of social protest grows.
They exposed the information today before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, representatives of the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Commission of Pastoral Land (CPT) and the Landless Workers Movement (MST).

Thu, 11/05/2009

Washington D.C., 5 de noviembre de 2009

En Brasil tiende a crecer la violencia rural, el trabajo esclavo extiende su alcance geográfico y crece la criminalización de las protestas sociales, según organizaciones no gubernamentales que informaron hoy la situación de los derechos humanos en ese país

Así lo expusieron hoy ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos representantes del Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL), de la Comisión Pastoral de la Tierra (CPT) y del Movimiento de Trabajadores Sin Tierra (MST).

En 2009, hasta junio, por cada 30 enfrentamientos en el campo entre campesinos y propietarios hubo una persona muerta, mientras que en 2007 hubo un fallecido por cada 54 enfrentamientos. Además, la violencia en zonas rurales ahora afecta también a comunidades tradicionales afro descendientes (quilombolas) e indígenas.

Las organizaciones señalaron que la violencia en el campo es consecuencia de que el Estado brasileiro no ha cumplido con lo establecido en la Constitución de implementar una reforma agraria y asegurar la función social de la propiedad.

Por otra parte, denunciaron el surgimiento de milicias en el Estado de Rio de Janeiro, que son conformadas incluso por agentes policiales que toman posesión de las comunidades pobres.

Asimismo, informaron que existe una persecución en contra del Movimiento de los Sin Tierra que ha sido tolerada por el Estado. Esto no solo a través de la violencia en las desocupaciones, sino, también mediante procesos judiciales e investigaciones legislativas. En este momento está conformada la tercera comisión parlamentaria que investiga la legalidad de las acciones del MST, ya que dos conformadas anteriormente con el mismo fin no comprobaron irregularidades. Este tipo de procedimientos estigmatizan el Movimiento.

Desafortunadamente, la delegación estatal no contaba con ningún representante del Poder Judicial que pudiera informar a la CIDH sobre los niveles de impunidad en los casos de discriminación, tortura y violencia policial.

CEJIL, la Comisión Pastoral de la Tierra (CPT) y el MST solicitaron a la CIDH que visite Brasil y que se reúna con las organizaciones sociales para que conozca fenómenos de discriminación, además de la racial Además pidieron que visite las zonas rurales con el fin de constatar los altos niveles de violencia existentes.

La audiencia puede ser observada en el siguiente link: http://www.cidh.oas.org/prensa/publichearings/Hearings.aspx?Lang=ES&Sess...

María da Penha / Brazil

The case of María da Penha Fernandes (left) was the first in which domestic violence was recognized as a violation of human rights. Brazilian pharmacist María da Penha Fernandes was shot by her husband. He left her a paraplegic, and tried to electrocute her. In spite of the abundance of evidence, the Brazilian justice system took nearly two decades to come to a firm decision.

The aggressions against Mrs. Fernandes and her difficulty in finding justice was evidence of the tolerance for violence in Brazil, which Mrs. Fernandes and thousands of women suffer from in similar ways on a daily basis. She, CEJIL, and the Latin American Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM) denounced the Brazilian government before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH) in 1998.

Mrs. Fernandes’ persistence in her fight culminated in a CIDH decision that placed responsibility for the violation of her human rights on the Brazilian government, applied for the first time by the Inter-American Convention to Prevent, Sanction and Eradicate Violence Against Women – known a the Belém do Pará Convention. It also initiated the process that resulted in the first law against domestic violence against women in Brazil.

On May 29, 1983, Mrs. Fernandes’ husband shot her with a revolver while she was sleeping and left her a paraplegic. In 1984, the Prosecutor’s Office accused the man of aggression and the intention to kill, and initiated a long judicial journey, which demonstrated the government’s tolerance of violence against women and lead to the international hearing before the CIDH.

In 2001, the CIDH decided in favor of Mrs. Fernandes and a year later the Brazilian courts declared her ex-husband guilty, finally sending him to prison in 2002 – 19 years after the crime was committed and just six months before the charges against him would have been dropped.

The CIDH determined that Brazil had violated the Belém do Pará Convention and exhorted the government to adopt measures that guarantee the effective punishment, prevention and eradication of violence against women.

Mrs. Fernandes’ search for justice contributed in a fundamental way to the promulgation of the law 11.340 in 2002, which intends to prevent the evasion penal sanctions for acts of domestic violence against women, promotes rehabilitation programs for the aggressors, and creates political bodies and specialized courts: it’s the “María da Penha Law.”