CONFIDENTIAL
BRAZIL
Report by HM Embassy, Brasilia
General Observations
Respect for human rights in Brazil reached a nadir in about 1970 when the Security Forces embarked on a tough campaign to eliminate subversion following, inter alia, the kidnapping of the US, German and Swiss Ambassadors. But when President Geisel came to power in March 1974 he indicated that he would aim for less repressive policies and a greater respect for human rights. Although progress has been uneven, there is general agreement amongst most observers, including opponents of the regime, that the last 2 years have seen a marked improvement in the situation.
Right No.
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Imprisonment without trial is theoretically illegal the law provides that a person must be charged within 17 days of arrest or released. However the congestion of the Brazilian legal system means that some accused remain in prison for two or three years before their cases are heard. Arbitrary and illegal arrest by the Security Forces was a frequent feature of the early part of the decade but the situation in this respect has latterly improved.
Although its use goes back much further, Brazil acquired in the early seventies a bad reputation for torture, particularly in the Sao Paulo area. President Geisel made it clear that he wished to see the practice stopped and in January 1976, after two detainees had died while in custody in Sao Paulo, he dismissed the Army Commander there. The Archbishop, a noted defender of human rights, believes that the new General has now put a stop to organised torture by the Security Forces. The brutality used by the Security Forces in country areas is to a great extent a reflection on their low calibre and the lack of effective control over them.
Slavery has been illegal in Brazil since 1889 and as such is non-existent.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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