Two days after the head of Unesco demanded an investigation into the murder of a Brazilian journalist a second man was arrested for the crime.
Irina Bokova, Unesco’s director-general, condemned the killing of João Miranda do Carmo, saying: “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice so as to protect journalists’ ability to continue contributing to informed public debate.”
Do Carmo, who ran and edited a news website, SAD Sem Censura, in Santo Antônio do Descoberto in the central Brazilian state of Goiás, was shot 13 times on 24 July.
Three days later, police detained Douglas Ferreira de Morais, the head of security guards (the Guarda Patrimonial) at the city hall. He was accused of participating in the murder.
Almost a month passed before Bokova issued her statement. Then, on 26 August, police arrested 22-year-old Rooney da Silva Morais, son of Douglas Ferreira. Both father and son have since denied the charges.
Police believe the killing was linked to do Carmo’s journalistic work. He was critical of local politicians, and reported on drug dealers and other criminals. In one of his last articles, he reported the arrest of another of Douglas’s sons.
Do Carmo’s family and friends spoke him receiving “many” threats over a six-month period because of his work.
Cláudio Curado, president of the Goiás State Union of Professional Journalists, told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that do Carmo “was very controversial in his city. He demanded answers from politicians, police and local officials.”
Sources: UN news centre/IPI/CPJ/Knight Centre one & two
