Witness gunned down after speaking to U.N. investigator about police death

[Judi Lynn]

Witness gunned down after speaking to U.N. investigator about police death squads

HAROLD OLMOS, Associated Press Writer Friday, October 10, 2003



(10-10) 03:53 PDT BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) --

Hit men gunned down a Brazilian who spoke to a U.N. investigator about police death squads, a killing that came just a day after a pledge by Brazil's president to protect such witnesses.

The killing of Gerson de Jesus Bispo on Thursday shocked human rights officials who have been struggling to rein in rogue police accused of trying to eliminate blacks and the poor from their cities. Bispo was the second person killed after speaking to Asma Jahangir, the United Nations official on extrajudicial and summary executions.

"It is a clear challenge to demonstrate that, despite the pledge of the president to protect people, they (the death squads) are untouchable," said Humans Rights Secretary Nilmario Miranda.

Just a day earlier, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had told Jahangir that "it was an absolute necessity to protect those who had the courage to seek justice." (snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/10/international0653EDT0501.DTL