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Brazil: Update - Investigation into murder of human rights defender Adelino “Dinho” Ramos closed after the killing of the main suspectposted on: 2012/02/06

On 2 February 2012, judge Gonçalves da Silva Filho from the Rodonian Tribunal (2ª Vara do Tribunal do Júri de Rondônia) decided to close the case against Osias Vicente, accused of killing human rights defender Adelino “Dinho” Ramos on 27 May 2011.

Brazil: Main suspect in killing of human rights defender shot deadposted on: 2012/01/19

On 15 January 2012, the main suspect in the killing of human rights defender Mr Adelino “Dinho” Ramos, Mr Ozias Vicente, was shot dead in the city of Vista Alegre do Abunã, Rondonia State.

Brazil: Fear of attack against human rights defender Mr Antônio Felício da Silvaposted on: 2011/12/06

On 29 November 2011, Mr Antônio Felício da Silva accompanied community members from Gleba Bacajá land settlement to file a complaint at the police station in Anapu, Pará state.

Brazil: Reinforcing the International Campaign against Rio de Janeiro’s Milíciasposted on: 2011/11/01

Today’s news that Rio de Janeiro state Deputy Marcelo Freixo will be invited to speak in Europe on the spread of milícias, by Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International, is part of a longstanding international campaign.

Brazil: Killing of environmental rights defender Mr Joao Chupel Primoposted on: 2011/10/27

On 22 October 2011, Brazilian human rights defender Mr Joao Chupel Primo was murdered inside a car repair shop in Itaituba, close to Altamira, in the state of Pará.

Brazil: Death threats against human rights defenders Fr Inaldo Serejo and Mr Diogo Cabralposted on: 2011/07/28

On 25 July 2011, Fr Inaldo Serejo, Coordinator of the Maranhão State branch of the Comissão Pastoral da Terra - CPT (Pastoral Land Commission), and Mr Diogo Cabral, human rights lawyer with the Comisão de Direitos Humanos da Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil – OABMA (Human Rights Commission at the Maranhão branch of the Bar Association) received death threats as they attended a preliminary hearing in the municipality of Cantanhede, in the State of Maranhão.

Further Information

CPT is an organisation that works closely with trade unions, landless movements and small farmers in their struggle for land reform.

On 25 July 2011, Fr Inaldo Serejo and Diogo Cabral travelled to Cantanhede, Maranhão, to attend a preliminary hearing before the local judiciary (Process No: 3432010) in which ownership of an area of 1089 hectares of land was to be discussed. The land is occupied by the Quilombola from Salgado, in Pirapemas. Upon arrival at the hearing one of the farmers contesting ownership of the land shouted from the doorway that the Quilombolas were bringing unwanted outside attention to the region, a comment that was directed at Fr Inaldo Serejo and Diogo Cabral.

Brazil: Brutal killing of three human rights defenders in the Amazonposted on: 2011/06/02

Front Line is deeply saddened by news of the killing of three human rights defenders and environmentalists in Brazil in recent days. On 27 May 2011 land reform leader Mr Adelino 'Dinho' Ramos, was killed in the Amazonian state of Rondonia. Three days earlier Mr José Cláudio Ribeiros da Silva and his wife Ms Maria do Espírito Santo da Silva were shot near their home in Pará State.

Brazil: Killing of human rights defender Mr Sebastião Bezerra da Silvaposted on: 2011/03/03

On Monday 28 February 2011, the body of human rights defender Mr Sebastião Bezerra da Silva was discovered buried on a farm in the municipality of Dueré, Tocantins State. Sebastião Bezerra da Silva was the west-central region's coordinator of the Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos (National Human Rights Movement) and a member of the Comissão de Direitos Humanos do Tocantins (Tocantins Human Rights Commission).

Further Information

It is reported that upon being discovered, Sebastião Bezerra da Silva's body showed signs of torture, including several broken fingers and toes, as well as evidence that he had been beaten over the head with a blunt object, and that sharp objects had been stuck under his nails. The cause of death, however, is reported to have been asphyxia through strangulation.

Sebastião Bezerra da Silva was last seen on the morning of 26 February 2011. He had reportedly left the hotel in which he was staying in Gurupi, in the south of Tocantins, to get lunch before disappearing.

Brazil: Break-in at the office of human rights organisation Dignitatisposted on: 2011/02/03

On the night of 30-31 January 2011, the offices of human rights organisation Dignitatis – Assessoria Técnica Popular in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba State, were broken into and various important articles stolen.

Further Information

Dignitatis is an organisation which aims to empower social movements through the provision of technical advice and training on human rights and citizenship, particularly in the States of Paraíba and Pernambuco.

On 31 January 2011, at approximately 9am, members of Dignitatis arrived at their headquarters in João Pessoa to discover that the window of the office had been broken and that the office had been entered via a balcony. Several items had been stolen from the offices including a computer, a printer, and a digital camera containing images and videos of interviews, events, and courses carried out by the organisation.

It is suspected that the robbery took place between the afternoon of 30 January 2011 and the morning of 31 January 2011, as members of another organisation, which is located in the same building as Dignitatis' office, were present until midday of 30 January 2011.

Brazil: Andre Fernandes targeted with death and forced into exileposted on: 2008/10/22

Andre Fernandes is a social activist in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Because of his work he has been targeted with death threats, which forced him into “exile” in southern Brazil. He came back to Rio de Janeiro at the end of 2006. Since his return he has again received death threats and has had to leave Rio de Janeiro for his own safety.