Supreme Court halts proceedings against military accused of dictatorship crimes

Minister Teori Zavascki, from the Federal Supreme Court (STF), ruled on Monday (Sep 29) the suspension of the proceedings against five military men charged with the death of former deputy Rubens Paiva during the period of military dictatorship in Brazil. At the request of their lawyers, the minister also suspended  their hearings, slated for October 7, 8 and 9, in Rio de Janeiro. The minister's decision has not been made public yet.

The military men, now retired, are being accused  of taking part in the murder of Paiva, in January 1971, at the facilities of an information center of the Army, in Rio de Janeiro. They appealed to STF in an attempt to overturn a local court ruling which rejected a request to suspend the proceedings. The defendants claim they must not be punished thanks to the Amnesty Law, which they say encompasses crimes committed by government agents during military rule.

Minister Zavascki accepted the argument, declaring that STF's decision, in compliance with aforementioned law, should be enforced.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira

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