An appalling decision by a Court in Brazil to archive the case of the killing of a 10-year-old boy during a military police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro risks letting security forces go unpunished, Amnesty International said.
Eduardo de Jesus Ferreira, was shot in the head by military police officers during a police operation in Alemão complex, one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favelas, on 2 April 2015.
The police investigation concluded that police officers were responsible for the shot that killed Eduardo but the officers claimed they acted in self-defense and in response to a gunfight with armed criminals. However, Eduardo’s family, neighbours and witnesses reported that no confrontation or shooting was taking place at the time of the killing.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office can appeal the decision to archive the case.
“If Eduardo’s tragic murder goes unpunished, it will send a message that it is ok for police to execute people,” said Renata Neder, Human Rights Advisor at Amnesty International Brazil.
“Instead, Brazilian authorities must ensure that the endless catalogue of human rights violations committed by police in Rio de Janeiro are investigated and that all those suspected of criminal responsibility are brought to justice in fair trials.”
Amnesty International has launched an email action calling on the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice to ensure that the case is effectively brought to justice and the police officers responsible for Eduardo’s death are held accountable.
Tomorrow, 30 November, at 13:00 (Brazil Time), Amnesty International activists will hold a protest in front of Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office (Av. Marechal Câmara, 370).
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For more media inquiries, contact Jacob Kuehn, Media Relations
613-744-7667 ext 236 // jkuehn@amnesty.ca
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Read more:
Brazil: ‘Trigger happy’ military police kill hundreds as Rio prepares for Olympic countdown (News/Report, 3 August 2015)
Brazil: Rio’s Olympic legacy shattered with no let-up in killings by police (News, 22 August 2016)
Fighting injustice with smartphones in Olympic Rio (Feature, 27 July 2016)
Violence has no place in these games! Risk of human rights violations at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Report, 2 June 2016)
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