Brazilian judge dismisses first dictatorship era case involving an Army officer

Saturday, March 17th 2012 - 07:18 UTC

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Brazilian judge dismissed the first charges ever brought against an army officer over crimes committed during the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship, dealing a blow to rights groups and victims' families. Read full article

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GreekYoghurt
bag.. money... in a ... allegedly.
Mar 17th, 2012 - 11:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard2
Twenty years of military rule with an average of around 20 people killed or disappeared each year.

The present 'authority-induced' mortalities/disappeareds, in the back-country and in and around the favelas, are much greater than this in Brasil at the moment, and this is a contemporary civil democracy.

I'm not excusing the military era - and I do know a bit about it from personal friends and contacts - but we now have some perspective and comparisons with other South American nations that did similar things over the same period.
Military-governed Brasil was not 'clean' but, equally, it was not a totally evil regime. Today - and for right or wrong - in the West we call it 'hunting down the insurgents'.

There IS the amnesty in place and this is of immense importance.
Dilma allowed the case to be brought and it took its course and acquitted, perhaps on a technicality.
We know other South American nations where the legal arm of government runs at the whim of the president - though there are still problems with the application of law in Brasil, Brasilian legal systems are much less corrupt.

Though I would have prefered a Truth *and Reconciliation* Commission if there had to be investigations within the Amnesty, this judgement has shown the increasing maturity of Brasil as a nation.
Mar 17th, 2012 - 04:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Helber Galarga
the amnesty could (if they wanted to) be dropped very easily.

if they were crimes against humanity, they never prescribe.
Mar 19th, 2012 - 11:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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