Imprisonment, offense report, State of Roraima

“We are on the front lines of human rights violations”

In January 2023, a complaint to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) against the Brazilian State for the torture and death of a 19-year-old indigenous boy was received. The case took place in the State of Roraima, where Operação Mata Cobra (Cobra Killing Operation) took place, a military and police operation coordinated by the government of the state.

Torture and death of a 19-year-old indigenous boy

On October 29, 2020, Yanomami indigenous people from the community of Aracaçá were at a gas station in the city of Boa Vista when they were approached by military police officers. The indigenous people were tortured and beaten, and one of them, a 19-year-old boy, was shot in the head and died. According to witnesses, the indigenous people were tortured for more than an hour, and the boy was shot in the head after asking for water.

Complaint to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR)

The complaint to the IACHR was filed by the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Roraima (AIRR). The complaint alleges that the Brazilian State violated the boy's right to life, his right to freedom from torture, and his right to a fair trial. The complaint also alleges that the State failed to investigate the boy's death and to prosecute those responsible.

“We are on the front lines of human rights violations”

The complaint to the IACHR is just one example of the many human rights violations that are taking place in the State of Roraima. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of torture, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial killings by the military and police in the state. According to COIAB, there were 11 homicides of indigenous people in Roraima in 2022 alone.

"We are on the front lines of human rights violations," said Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of COIAB. "The State of Roraima is a place where indigenous people are being killed with impunity." The IACHR has requested information from the Brazilian State regarding the boy's death and the human rights situation in Roraima. The State has until March 2023 to respond.