UN asks Brazil to demilitarize police and denounces impunity – 05/12/2023

1970-01-01 02:00:00

The UN Committee to Combat Torture has called on the Brazilian government to take steps to review the way in which public security is carried out and to “demilitarize” law enforcement agents.

The recommendation was published this Friday, after the organization made an assessment of the situation of torture in the country. In a report, the organization “noted Brazil’s political will to address human rights issues and welcomed the creation of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship.”

The Committee, however, expressed “serious concern” at the serious human rights violations, particularly extrajudicial executions, torture and sexual violence, mainly against “Afro-Brazilians during highly militarized incursions into favelas carried out by law enforcement officers from various security entities. of the State, including the military police, the civil police and the federal road police”.

“The Committee urged Brazil to take urgent measures to demilitarize law enforcement activities, end the use of excessive force, especially lethal force, by law enforcement and military officers, and strengthen its independent oversight mechanisms,” he urged.

Another focus of the UN was the complaint about “overcrowding in prisons and the very high rate of incarceration, including in pre-trial detention, of young Afro-Brazilians of both sexes for drug-related crimes”.

“The Committee expressed concern at the lack of effective measures to address the root causes of the extraordinary high rates of incarceration of Afro-Brazilians, including excessive policing, racial profiling and systemic racial discrimination within police forces and other bodies. courts,” he warned.

In its final report, the Committee asked Brazil to eliminate “overcrowding in all detention centers, resolve all deficiencies related to general living conditions in prisons to ensure full compliance with the Rules of Nelson Mandelathoroughly review existing laws, policies and practices to address the root causes of disproportionate rates of incarceration of Afro-Brazilians and ensure continuity of medical treatment in prison”.