End the lawsuit against the student Bárbara Flores!
On March 24,
2005, Brazilian students from several areas of the country rallied
in front of the United States’ consulate to demonstrate their
repudiation to the cowardly attacks of the USA against Irak and to
support the just resistance of the Iraqi people against this
plundering war launched by the Yankee imperialism.
In spite of
having received a great support of solidarity from the people who
were on the streets at that moment, the demonstrators were
violently repressed by the police. They arrested 5 students,
including an under aged.
At the police
headquarters, during the students’ testimonies, representatives of
the US consulate were calling up all the time on a clear attempt
of a direct interference in the case - a situation that continued
in the days after. As a result of this pressure, the
constitutional right of demonstration was ignored and the students
were charged for “criminal association, damage offence and
transportation of explosive material.” However the brave students
did not weaken and behaved with the firm attitude of those who
struggle for justice.
Not even the use
of the old and dreadful methods of the military dictatorship was
able to intimidate the students who, besides suffering some kind
of psychological terror, were transferred from prisons four times
during only three days. One of them was transferred to Bangu
Complex, a maximum security prison.
Nowadays, this
false Brazilian democracy was unmasked once more. The student
Bárbara Flores, who had her face burned at the moment of arrest,
has been sued criminally and she was exposed by the Public
Ministry of Rio de Janeiro under the assertion of “transporting
explosive material”. But this indictment is based,
exclusively, on the testimony of the policemen that attacked and
arrested the student.
The political
objectives of the lawsuit become more obvious when the judge,
because of the fragility of the charge, postponed to February 2004
the testimony of the student on a clear objective of maintaining
her paralized on her political activities, an unrestricted right,
intimidating her of aggravating her incrimination.
We are certain
that this combative demonstration done by the Brazilian students
came to add to several other demonstrations that have been held
around the world against the wars launched by the hegemonic
imperialist power that, on a desperate attempt to detain the deep
general crisis of the capitalist system, has been intensifying the
preparations of a third world war which objective is to do a new
world partition as well as extend its domination, intensifying
unlimitedly the exploitation and oppression of the people of the
Third World.
We, of the
Peoples’ Lawyers Association of CEBRASPO – Brazilian Centre of
Solidarity to the People, salute the students who stood up against
this unjust war and in solidarity with the Iraqi resistance. We
defend the freedom to demonstration and organization and that is
why we demand the end of the lawsuit against the student, Bárbara.
We request you
to send a repudiation letter to this criminal action against the
student Bárbara Flores to the following:
Court of Justice
of Minas Gerais:
e-mail:
coment@tjmg.gov.br
fax: (031)
3295-4228
Court of Justice
of Rio de Janeiro
www.tj.rj.gov.br
23rd
Jurisdiction of Rio de Janeiro
fax: (021)
2588-2311
with copies to:
cebraspo@uol.com.br
Peoples Lawyers
Association - CEBRASPO
