Impunity - Brazil
WHEREAS
the case of Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva, who was killed in 1995, was taken back by Detective Paulo Passos in August of 2000, but the investigation has not progressed because of lack of evidence and prosecutor Dennis Aceti recognizes that there are signs of suspects
WHEREAS
the investigation of the death of Manoel Leal, who was killed on January 14, 1998, was reopened in April of 2000 and Judge Marcos Bandeira of Itabuna accepted in September of 2001 the report of the prosecutor ordering preventive detention of Marcone Sarmento, Monzart Brasil and Thomaz Iracy Moisés Guedes, initiating a criminal action
WHEREAS
Edgar Lopes de Faria was killed on October 29, 1997, and the investigation is practically stalled because of witnesses fear, the polices inability to find new leads and the lack of equipment and personnel to follow the investigations
WHEREAS
radio reporter Ronaldo Santana de Araújo was killed on October 9, 1997, and the guilty parties have not yet been found, as well as the fact that the investigations have been hampered by the attempt of the former mayor of Eunápolic, Paulo Ernesto Ribeiro da Silva, to postpone his statement to the courts and because the main defendant, Paulo Sérgio Mendes Lima, gave conflicting statements about his participation and that of others in the crime
WHEREAS
television host José Carlos Mesquita was killed in March, 1998 in Ouro Preto do Oeste and the investigations are practically stalled because of bureaucratic problems that have prevented following the trail of the suspects in another state
WHEREAS
columnist Maria Nilce Magalhães was killed on July 5, 1989, and the case, mentioned as an example of impunity by the Parliamentary Investigation Committee of the Chamber of Deputies as an example of impunity was stalled for a long time despite the fact that those involved had been identified
WHEREAS
journalist Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira was killed on November 11, 1984, and until now the instigators have not been identified and Divino José de Matos, accused of killing him, has managed to avoid his sentence for 17 years
WHEREAS
Mário Coelho de Almeida Filho was killed on August 16, 2001, and the case is being investigated by Detective Paulo Passos, of the Homicide Division of Rio de Janeiro
WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly
THE GENEAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to ask the authorities of Rio de Janeiro state to provide equipment and personnel so Detective Paulo Passos can broaden his investigation and obtain evidence to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva
to ask the authorities of Bahía to guarantee support so the case of Manoel Leal can be finally solved, ensuring protection of witnesses and continuation of criminal action
to ask the government of Mato Grosso do Sul state to make the investigation of the death of Edgar Lopes de Faria a priority so the police can conduct interrogations and look for new leads
to ask the authorities of Bahía to guarantee the continuation of investigations of the death of Ronaldo Santana de Araújo, avoiding the acceptance of measures that postpone the process, and keeping the suspect Paulo Sérgio Mendes Lima in jail, with protection, until his participation in the case and that of others can be clarified
to ask the government of Rondônia to provide the necessary funds to continue the investigation of the death of José Carlos Mesquita
to ask the government of Espírito Santo to find and arrest the murderers of columnist Maria Nilce Magalhães
to ask the authorities of Brasília to guarantee the resources necessary to apprehend Divino José de Matos, who is accused of being the main suspect in the case of journalist Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira and that investigations be stepped up to find the masterminds of the crime
to ask the security secretary of Rio de Janeiro to support Detective Paulo Passos so he can find those guilty of the murder of journalist Mário Coelho de Almeida Filho
to ask the authorities for a special system to protect witnesses as well as equipment and personnel needed to find the those responsible for planning and committing the crimes.
