Help Protect Witnesses at Timber Baron Trial
8/9/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Amazon Timber Baron Goes to Trial for Ticuna Indian Massacre
Call to Protect Witnesses in Landmark Murder Trial
Source: Environmental Defense Fund
Steve Schwartzman
1875 Connecticut Avenue N.W. #1016
Washington DC 20009
Tel.: 202 387 3500; Fax 202 234 6049
Steves@edf.org
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: August 9, 1999
URGENT ACTION
Amazon Timber Baron Goes to Trial for Ticuna Indian Massacre
Call to Protect Witnesses in Landmark Murder Trial
Tomorrow, August 10th, witnesses to the infamous Ticuna Indian
massacre of March 1988 are scheduled to testify in the Upper Amazon
town of Benjamin Constant. The witnesses are survivors of the
slaughter ordered by logger Oscar Castelo Branco in which 14 Ticuna
were shot to death and 23 were wounded, in a brutal attempt to prevent
the Indians form reclaiming and taking control of their traditional
tropical forest lands.
The testimony of the eyewitnesses is of extreme importance, since it
is among the last steps in the criminal prosecution that has gone on
for over ten years.
We are concerned for the security and safety of the witnesses, because
the federal court determined that the testimony be taken in Benjamin
Constant, seat of the county where the massacre occurred.
We are therefore forwarding the urgent action bulletin circulated by
the Instituto Socioambiental calling for messages to be sent to the
Judge of the Benjamin Constant district who will hear the testimony,
asking that all necessary steps be taken to protect the Ticuna and
guarantee that they be able to state what happened without
intimidation.
A suggested text follows, to:
Dra. Andr?a Jane Silva de Medeiros
Ju?za de Direito Substituta da Comarca de Benjamin Constant
Fax - 011-55-92 - 415 -5515
Dr. Os?rio Barbosa
Procurador da Rep?blica
Fax - 011-55-611-1055
Dear Sir (Madam):
In view of the testimony of witnesses to the Ticuna massacre to be
heard August 10 in Benjamin Constant, we respectfully request
particular attention to the security of the Ticuna Indians who will
testify, in order to avoid intimidation or hostile acts against them.
We ask that all necessary measures to protect the Ticuna witnesses and
ensure that they be able to recount what happened free of intimidation
be taken.
Thank you for your attention to this,
Sincerely,