One of the main criticisms of Brazil appearing in the Amnesty International Report 2006 has to do with abuses, such as torture, mistreatment, and assassination, committed by the Brazilian police.
The document, which is based on investigations conducted in 2005, was released yesterday, May 23, in London.
According to Amnesty, Brazilian Federal and state police officers were involved in criminal and corrupt activities, as well as in murders committed by the so-called "death squad," which the international human rights organization says includes both active and retired police officers. According to the report, records show that the police killed nine thousand people between 1999 and 2004.
"The investigation of these homicides remains minimal," the text states. The document underscores the campaign against torture launched by the federal government in December.
Nevertheless, Amnesty says that in 2005 it received information about torture in juvenile detention centers administered by the São Paulo State Youth Welfare Foundation (FEBEM).
The international human rights organization also emphasizes the awful conditions in prisons when it comes to sanitary facilities and the lack of medical services. These conditions favor the outbreak of riots and the high degree of violence among inmates.
Agência Brasil