FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL: Surge in killings by police sparks fear in favelas ahead of Rio Olympics

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3 May 2016
[International Secretariat]
Region: FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL
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Residents in many of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas are living in terror after at least 11 people have been killed in police shootings since the beginning of the month, Amnesty International warned ahead of the 100-day countdown to the Olympic Games.

In the city of Rio alone, at least 307 people were killed by the police last year, accounting for one in every five homicides in the city. Meanwhile the authorities have failed to hold those responsible to account and have increasingly taken a hard-line approach against mainly peaceful street protests.

“Despite the promised legacy of a safe city for hosting the Olympic Games, killings by the police have been steadily increasing over the past few years in Rio. Many have been severely injured by rubber bullets, stun grenades and even firearms used by police forces during protests,” said Atila Roque, Executive Director of Amnesty International Brazil.

“Until now, killings by police have for the most part not been investigated, rigorous training and clear operational guidelines for the use of ‘less-lethal’ weapons have not been established and the authorities still treat protesters like a ‘public enemy’.

“Over the next 100 days, there is a lot that the authorities and the organizing bodies of Rio 2016 can and must do to ensure that any public security operations will not violate human rights. We expect Rio’s police forces to take a precautionary and consultative approach to public security instead of continuing with their ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ strategy.”

There has been a surge in the police use of excessive force in Rio de Janeiro state in recent years, and the majority of victims are young black men from favelas and marginalized areas.

In 2014, when Brazil hosted the World Cup, police in the state killed 580 people, 40% more than in 2013. The number in 2015 was even higher at 645.

Although it is not possible to link this rise in police killings directly to the preparations for the Olympic Games, the statistics reveal a clear pattern of excessive use of force, violence and impunity that taints public security institutions. Many of these killings take place in the State of Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Games.

In August 2015, Amnesty International launched the report “You Killed My Son: Homicides Committed by Military Police in the City of Rio de Janeiro”, detailing “trigger-happy” police practices in the favela of Acari in the aftermath of the 2014 World Cup. The organization found that in the vast majority of killings by the military police in Acari in 2014 which were documented by the organization there were strong indications of extrajudicial executions. Despite the exposure and public pressure, so far no one has been brought to justice for these killings.

As long as there is impunity, this cycle of violence and killings by the police will continue.

“It is worrying to see that killings by the police continue to happen on a daily basis in Rio and other Brazilian cities, but the response from authorities continues to be very insufficient. The price in pain and loss of lives is paid mostly by the residents of the favelas and other poor territories, particularly young black men,” said Atila Roque.

Police repression of protests is another concern in the run-up to the Olympics.

Two years after hosting the World Cup, when Amnesty International also denounced cases of excessive and unnecessary use of force by the police during protests, including the misuse of less-lethal weapons, no effective measures have been taken to prevent further police abuses.

In fact, the only new legislation related to public security around the Olympics is an anti-terrorism law that in practice could be used to curb and criminalize protests.

27 April 2016
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

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