“Brazil : Killing of Mr. Raimundo dos Santos Rodrigues-URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY-BRA 001 / 0915 / OBS 071-Killing-Brazil”, September 8, 2015

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights…and the World Organisation Against Torture…requests your urgent intervention…[It]…has been informed by Justicia Global about the attack against Mr. Raimundo dos Santos Rodrigues and his wife, which resulted in…[his]… death…They were both members of the Advisory Council of the Biological Reserve of Gurupi…Raimundo…had been denouncing environmental crimes committed by landowners and logging industries, such as the illegal logging…in Maranhão, for which he received numerous threats. Raimundo…was one of the advisors for the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation…The widow was also shot and…continues to receive treatment at the…[h]ospital…The attack follows a series of death threats which Raimundo…reported to the National Agrarian Ombudsman…in…2014…[N]o action was taken. Two other members of the Advisory Council of ReBio Gurupi have also been receiving threats from loggers...The killing of Raimundo…and attempted killing of his wife occurred in a context in which land and environmental rights defenders, in particular indigenous rights defenders, in Brazil are increasingly at risk as a result of their human rights work…The Observatory condemns…the murder of…Raimundo…and attempted killing of his wife, as well as the death threats against other members of the Advisory Council of ReBio Gurupi which seem to be related to their human rights activities. It urges the authorities to adopt measures to ensure the effective protection of human rights defenders at risk in Brazil…and to conduct an immediate…investigation into…mentioned events. Actions requested: Please write to the authorities in Brazil, urging them to: i. Guarantee…the…integrity of Mr. Raimundo dos Santos’ widow, of all ReBio Gurupi members and human rights defenders in Brazil; ii. Carry out an immediate…investigation into…events…iii. Conform to the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders…Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Brazil in your…country…