Family said they will remain attentive to the unfolding of investigations into the death of the “Guardian” collaborator in AM
Family and friends bid farewell to the British journalist Bishop Phillips during a wake held this Sunday (June 26, 2022) in Niterói, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Phillips and the Pernambuco indigenist Bruno Pereira were killed in Vale do Javari (AM).
The journalist’s family arrived at Parque da Colina Cemetery around 9 am, when Phillips’ wake began. The ceremony was followed by the cremation of his remains.
Dom’s widow, Alessandra Sampaio, and his sister, Sian Phillips, read statements in Portuguese and English to the media. The two said that the journalist had “love for Brazil and commitment to environmental conservation”.
Sampaio and Sian stated that they will continue Phillips’ fight. The widow thanked the support she received from indigenous peoples, the media, journalist friends and everyone who participated in the searches and showed solidarity with Dom, Bruno and their families.
“Today, Dom is cremated in the country he loved, his chosen home, Brazil. He was a very special person, not only for standing up for what he believed in as a professional, but also for having a huge heart and a great love for humanity”they said.
Sian said that Dom was working on a project for a book on sustainable development models that can ensure the preservation of the Amazon, both as a home for traditional peoples and a stabilizing factor for the global climate:
“Dom understood the need for an urgent change in both the political and economic approach to conservation. Family and friends are committed to continuing this work, even in this time of tragedy. The story needs to be told.”
MANIFESTATION
Outside the cemetery, a group of protesters carried a banner that questioned: “Who had Dom and Bruno killed?”.
According to an investigation by the PF (Federal Police), there is no evidence that there are masters in the criminal action that killed the 2.
UNDERSTAND THE CASE
The journalist and the indigenist were last seen in Vale do Javari on June 5th. After searches, the remains were found on June 15.
The following day, the bodies were taken to Brasília, where they were examined and identified by the National Institute of Criminalistics.
The mortal remains were located in a place indicated by the fisherman Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, known as “Naked”, one of the suspects in the crime. He confessed to his involvement and was arrested.
In a statement released on June 18, the Federal Police reported that Bruno Pereira was killed with 2 shots in the abdominal and thoracic region and one in the head, while Dom Phillips was shot 1 in the abdomen/thorax. The ammunition used in the assassination was typical for hunting.
Bishop Phillips was a contributor to the British newspaper The Guardian and had already produced reports on deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. Bruno Pereira, in turn, was a licensed server of Funai (National Indian Foundation) and denounced threats suffered in the region.
He was a collaborator of Univaja (União dos Povos Indígenas do Vale do Javari), an entity maintained by the indigenous people of the region, which focused on preventing invasion of the reserve by fishermen, hunters and drug traffickers.
On June 23, the Federal Police transported the bodies of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips from Brasília to the states where their funerals would be held. Pereira’s body was veiled and cremated on Friday (June 24, 2022) in Paulista, in the metropolitan region of Recife.
With information from Brazil Agency
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