UN calls for investigation into 45 deaths in police operations in Brazil

OThe numbers in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia reveal “one of the bloodiest weeks in recent years” in Brazil, where the police have launched several operations in recent days to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in different cities across the country. country, cabinet spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said in a statement.

The deaths “follow instances of police violence and allegations of extrajudicial executions in recent years, in circumstances that have never been fully clarified and for which those responsible have not been held accountable,” the spokeswoman added.

Hurtado underlined that deaths in police operations have decreased in recent years in Brazil, but at the same time “the deaths of people of African origin at the hands of the police have increased”.

“The new cases reinforce the urgent need to develop and implement adequate policies and practices to prevent human rights violations during police operations,” he added.

The spokeswoman for the cabinet headed by High Commissioner Volker Türk urged the Brazilian authorities to carry out independent, thorough and impartial investigations into all these killings, “in accordance with international human rights standards”.

“We also remind the Brazilian authorities that force should only be used when strictly necessary and in accordance with the principles of legality, precaution and proportionality,” concluded the statement from the UN office.

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