{"id":13685,"date":"2018-08-06T14:41:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-06T14:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/?post_type=noticia&p=13685"},"modified":"2021-04-06T14:36:42","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T14:36:42","slug":"ngos-denounce-un-conviction-23-protestors-2013-2014","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/en\/noticias\/ngos-denounce-un-conviction-23-protestors-2013-2014\/","title":"NGOs denounce at UN conviction of 23 protestors from 2013 and 2014","content":"

Civil society organisations sent a message to the UN on Thursday 2 August, denouncing the conviction of 23 activists who were at protests in 2013 and 2014. These cases will be discussed on Friday 3 August, at a press conference in S\u00e3o Paulo. The defendants and their families will be present.<\/p>\n

In a letter sent to the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Clement Voule, Conectas, Article 19, Justi\u00e7a Global and Mariana \u00a0Criola Centre for Grassroots Legal Aid stress that the accusations brought against the protestors \u201cconfigure an attempt to criminalise the right to protest\u201d.<\/p>\n

The organisations are urging the United Nations to issue a public statement on the case and to put pressure on the Brazilian government to overturn the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process, as a whole, represents a grave violation of the right of peaceful assembly and association. Some elements, however, are overwhelming: in different instances, political affiliation was the sole base for charges of criminal association; pre-trial detention was justified by attendance to a peaceful assembly; all of the 23 defendants had their penalties raised to the legal maximum due to participating in protests (which, by the judge\u2019s own words, means they have \u2018\u2019distorted personalities\u2019\u2019), among others.\u201d. An excerpt from the letter.<\/p>\n

The organisations also criticise disregard for the arguments presented by defence lawyers, the use of undercover police officers\u2019 testimonies as one of the main evidences and stress that the defendants have already been punished:<\/p>\n

\u201c (\u2026) <\/em>all 23 defendants were arrested, initially for 5 days, (and later convicted) with no concrete evidence to support their involvement in any criminal offenses. The judge also ordered pre-trial detention of three of the defendants for participating in a peaceful assembly (something they had been prohibited to do for the duration of the criminal proceedings). One of the defendants was imprisoned for 07 months in a maximum security facility<\/em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Conviction<\/strong><\/p>\n

On 17 July the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice convicted 20 protestors, in a single sentence, to seven years in prison and another three, who are minors, to five years and ten months.\u00a0They are accused of crimes involving forming criminal organisations, corruption of minors, bodily harm and possession of explosives.<\/p>\n

On the 24th<\/sup>, a campaign was launched called\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not just about the 23, it\u2019s about all those who fight,\u201d\u00a0supporting activists.<\/p>\n

Press Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Friday 3 August a press conference is being held to discuss the arbitrary acts committed in the conviction process. The event is open to the public and starts at 10am at the Ateli\u00ea do Bexiga (R. Conselheiro Ramalho, 945).<\/p>\n