Truth brought to light

UN warned Brazilian government of the risks of deaths at Anísio Jobim Prison Complex

In a report submitted to the Brazilian government in November 2016, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) warned about the risk of deaths at Compaj (Anísio Jobim Prison Complex) in the Amazonas state capital of Manaus, where 56 people were brutally killed last week.

Although they did not actually enter the complex, the experts referred to the twelve killings that occurred in 2012 in the document and stated that the overcrowding in the facility raised the possibility of a similar episode occurring there at any time.

“The Anísio Jobim Prison Complex in Manaus, whose intended capacity is 450, held 1,203 inmates at the time of the Subcommittee’s visit. At this prison, 12 inmates were killed in 2002. The current overcrowding increases the risk that a similar incident could occur at any time,” reads an excerpt from the report.

The information came to light this Wednesday, January 11, after the Special Office for Human Rights published the document produced by the UN experts. The report, which was being kept in secrecy, was released following a Freedom of Information Request filed by Conectas.

The experts were in Brazil from October 19-30, 2015 and they visited a number of prisons and detention centers in the states of Amazonas, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and the Federal District and made various recommendations to the Brazilian government.

Click here to read the report of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture.