EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK -- MARCH/APRIL 1993

NEW
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GAY Counselor BRUTALLY MURDERED IN Brazil

On March 10, 1993 Renildo Jos dos Santos, a local counselor of
Coqueiro Seco in the State of Alagoas, Brazil, was forcefully
abducted from his home by a group of unidentified heavily armed
men. On March 16, after an extensive search, the remains of
Counselor dos Santos' body were discovered. The body had been
mutilated, the head, arms, and penis severed and buttocks
lacerated with a knife. A letter written by dos Santos was found
in his home indicating that in the event of anything happening to
him, the Mayor of the town and the Mayor's father would be
responsible.

Counselor dos Santos was openly gay and had repeatedly denounced
death threats he had been receiving since 1989. In December 1989,
the Mayor and his father were accused of contracting with three
military policemen to beat and torture dos Santos. In November
1991, they contracted with two military policemen to murder dos
Santo, according to a complaint filed with the police. Dos Santos
was shot three times but survived. In both instances the crimes
were not investigated by the police because the accused were
personal friends of the Alagoan State Government Representative,
Oscar Fontes.

On February 2, 1993, dos Santos was suspended from his position
for 30 days by the town council because he had declared on a radio
program that he was bisexual. The council justified its action by
saying he was "practicing acts incompatible with the decorum due
to his position and bringing the reputation of the council into
disrepute." The Brazilian Homosexual Movement reacted by lobbying
the Government of the State of Alagoas and all 584 Representatives
and Senators of the Brazilian Parliament to bring pressure to bear
on the case. The period of 30 days ended without dos Santos being
reinstated, so he sought a court, which was delivered to the town
council on March 10, giving 5 days to substantiate the suspension
or reinstate dos Santos. That same evening he was abducted.

Please write to the Governor of the State of Alagoas, the
Secretary of State for Public Security in the State of Alagoas,
and to the Brazilian Minister of Justice demanding a full and
impartial investigation into the abduction, torture and murder of
Counselor Renildo Jos dos Santos and urging that the perpetrators
be brought to justice. Add, in your letter to the Minister of
Justice, that this murder was carried out because of dos Santos'
sexual orientation, and that sexual orientation must be included
as a protected status in Brazil's anti-discrimination legislation.
Postage to Brazil from the U.S. is $.50 per half-ounce.

Write to:

Minister of Justice:  Excelentissimo Sehor Ministro da Justi
a Dd. Dr. Maricio Correa Esplanada dos Ministrios Bl.T Z Cvico
Administrativa 70064-900 BRASILIA-DF BRASIL fax: 55-61-224-2448
salutation: Dear Minister

State Governor of Alagoas:  Excelentssimo Senhor Governador do
Estado de Alagoas Sr. Geraldo Bulhes Palacio Marechal Floriano s/n
47.000 Macei - AL BRASIL fax: 55-82-221-7484 salutation: Exmo. Sr.
Governador / Your Excellency

Secretary of State for Public Security:  Excelentssimo Sr.
Secretrio de Seguran a Pblica Estado de Alagoas Dr. Wilson Perptuo
Rua Senador Mendo a 148 Edificio Walmape Centro 57.000 Macei - AL
BRASIL fax: 55-82-221-4718 salutation: Sr. Secretrio / Dear Sir