Inquiry into Brazil death squads

By Jan Rocha
Sao Paulo

United Nations envoy Asma Jahangir is starting a three-week investigation into summary executions and extra-judicial killings by Brazilian police.

Off duty police officers are blamed for many killings

On the eve of her visit, a human rights group released a report describing the existence of death squads made up of police officers and vigilantes.

The report was prepared by the Centre for Global Justice - a member of the federal government's own human rights commission.

It gives details of 150 recent cases of execution allegedly carried out by the police, and claims that death squads operate in 14 of Brazil's 27 states.

Unofficial data collected by human rights groups indicate that in 1999 almost 14,000 people were killed by police or death squads.

The death squads are usually made up of off-duty police agents or vigilantes, the report says.

Some of these deaths occurred in gun battles between police and criminals, but many of those killed fall into the category of suspects, innocent bystanders, witnesses or petty crooks.

UN report

The report describes in detail one incident, reported in the press in April, when police carrying out a raid in a Rio de Janeiro shanty town shot dead four young men.

According to the report, none of them had a police record. One was a student, one a taxi driver, one a house painter and one a factory worker - but the police described them as drug dealers.

The report says that even when there is an inquiry into such deaths, very few suspected killers are ever brought to trial.

The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took office this year, has promised to try and end police impunity and to reduce violence.

Ms Jahangir will prepare a report for the UN Commission on Human Rights and for the General Assembly.