The date will be celebrated on July 14, in reference to the day Amarildo de Souza was detained by police officers and tortured to death
Starting this year, July 14th will be remembered as National Day to Combat Torture. A Law 14,797which establishes the celebration, was published in Official Diary of the Union on Monday (8.Jan.2024). Here's the complete (PDF – 112 kB).
The date refers to a case occurred in 2013when bricklayer's assistant Amarildo de Souza was arrested by military police and taken to the UPP (Pacifying Police Unit) in Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro, where he was subjected to various forms of torture until death.
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Together with June 26th, when the world promotes awareness actions on the topic in International Day of Support for Victims of Torturethe new date will form a calendar for debate on human rights, illegal and arbitrary arrests, prison conditions and other topics related to the crime described by Brazilian legislation.
The new law originated in a project from the senator Randolfe Rodrigues (no party-AP), approved in 2015 in the Senate (with a favorable vote from the rapporteur, former senator Paulo Bauer) and later in the Chamber of Deputies.
According to Randolfe, despite Brazil having supported the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and having a law that defines the crime of torture (Law 9,455, of 1997), “The use of torture as a means of obtaining information continues to be a recurring practice in our country”.
The senator said he understands that in Brazil there is “a certain 'valuation' of torture”. He cited the situation shown in the film “Elite squad” in which “'honest' police officers use torture as a means to obtain information from residents of communities in Rio de Janeiro and thus combat crime”.
AMARILDO
On July 14, 2013, bricklayer's assistant Amarildo de Souza was taken to the base of the Pacifying Police Unit of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police, located in Rocinha, with the justification that he was being detained for investigations.
According to a Civil Police investigation, he was a victim of torture, carried out by 10 military police officers who were trying to obtain information about weapons and drugs. Witnesses who gave statements to the police confirmed the occurrence of torture at the UPP.
DEBATES
As a signatory, since 2007, of OPCAT/UN (Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations), Brazil faces these types of crimes through the National Mechanism for Prevention and Combat to Torture, an autonomous body responsible for, among other duties, gathering analyses, actions and recommendations on the topic, in an annual report.
The last document (complete – PDF – 2 MB), presented in 2023, pointed out paths to be explored by national public policies to combat torture in Brazil. According to the text, places of deprivation of liberty (which include, in addition to the prison system, the socio-educational system, psychiatric hospitals and long-term institutions for the elderly) are those that concentrate the majority of cases of these practices and others. cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Among the recommendations are the carrying out of a census of the prison system, the elaboration of a National Policy to Combat Food Insecurity and Access to Water in Penal Establishments, training of criminal service agents on the rights and specificities of the private LGBTI+ population of freedom, inspection of investments to improve Pnaisp (National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for People Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System) and mapping of regulations that deal with the activities of criminal police in the States.
With information from Senate Agency
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