In July 11 José Rainha Junior Teodoro Sampaio. The prosecution witnesses were giving evidence in a case in which he has been. charged with place. He allegedly protest in Banco do Banespa in 2000.
Once the hearing was over, the county judge in Teodoro Sampaio, Átis de Araújo de Oliveira, asked the military police to enter the room. The policemen arrested José Rainha Junior, who was handcuffed and taken to Teodoro Sampaio Police Station.
Such practice is routine. In Brazil, five agrarian reform activists have been arrested after voluntarily appearing in court to testify before the judge. The prison order was served against José Rainha, Felinto
Procópio dos Santos (Mineirinho), Márcio Barreto, Clédson Mendes and Sérgio Pantaleão. Mineirinho only went to the police station to visit José Rainha, and was also arrested. obstructing a workfrom their solicitors, reserved the organized a
and request. Direction of the MST, escorted by a Justice and Human Rights and Roberto Rainha, attended court requesting to see the records for of justice for 24 hours. So far, the records of the case. Even the judge of the court of appeal, Gercino José da Silva Filho
The others, following instructions right to resist arrest while waiting for the judgment of their habeas corpus
While Gilmar Mauro of the National solicitor from the Social Network for their prison order, they were told that the records would be kept in secret solicitors have not had access to the and the National Agrarian Magistrate pleaded unsuccessfully to the judge to allow the MST solicitors to have copies of the court case. This is one of many arbitrary actions by the judge, Átis de Araújo Oliveira, who in one of his rulings compared the MST with the criminal organization PCC. This is an attempt to criminalize the struggle of land less women and men for their constitutional right to agrarian reform.
I rom May 2002 to date 29 decrees of preventive custody have been
elaborated against members of the MST, in Teodoro Sampaio/SP county.
Such facts demonstrate an attempt to criminalize the social movements that struggle for agrarian reform in the country. It was a failed attempt, though, since 24 of those decrees were revoked by the Criminal Court of appeals, by the Court of Justice in São Paulo or by the Superior Court of Justice.
Only the last decree, which ordered the arrest of five members of the MST, has not yet been revoked. In this law suit, since the 11th, the judge in Teodoro Sampaio has not allowed the solicitors to access the records of the case. We ask all of you to send messages in solidarity with the prisoners protesting against the arbitrary decisions of judge ATIS ARAUJO OLIVEIRA, and requesting his removal from court cases involving members of the MST, since his sentences are biased and undermined by political prejudice.
Please send letters to:
Sr. Dr. Juiz de Direito Atis de Araújo Oliveira, Teodoro Sampaio Court House, Rua Passeio Curio, No. 4-5. Teodoro Sampaio, Sao Paulo, Brazil
page 14 of the scan
Future of the left 18 soclalist resistance September 2003 Socialist