Armed Forces to probe torture during military dictatorship
Students and representatives from social movements, trade unions and left-wing parties stage a protest against the 1964 military coup on Rio Branco avenue, downtown Rio de Janeiro
The Armed Forces are going to investigate allegations that crimes against human rights were committed in military units in the years 1964-1985. The announcement was made by National Truth Commission coordinator Pedro Dallari on Tuesday (Apr. 1st) and verified by the Ministry of Defense. A spokesperson for the ministry announced that the findings are expected by the end of the month.
In a statement, Defense Minister Celso Amorim was quoted as telling Dallari that the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force have already appointed due diligence commissions to investigate military involvement in such human rights violations as torture of political prisoners.
The arrangements have been made at the request of the Truth Commission on February 18 this year. In a letter to Amorim, commission members called on the Defense Ministry to help identify “facilities, premises, entities, and circumstances involved in human rights violations,” and listed seven facilities where “serious violations of human rights – in particular, torture and illegal practices with often lethal outcomes – that took place more intensely throughout the 1960s and 1970s.”
The premises include four facilities in Rio de Janeiro – two of the Army, one of the Navy, and one of the Air Force – and three Army locations in São Paulo, Recife, and Belo Horizonte.
“The National Truth Commission deems it imperative to clarify all administrative circumstances that have led to misuse of those facilities in blatant administrative offense and departure from purpose. It is inadmissible that public premises associated with the Armed Forces should have been formally allocated to acts found to be illegal even under the legal framework in place back then,” the Truth Commission explained in its request to Amorim.
The army commander, General Enzo Martins Peri, announced their investigations were initiated on March 25. The Navy and the Air Force have also confirmed their investigations are underway as of Monday (Mar. 31).
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Armed Forces to probe torture during military dictatorship
