A federal court in Brazil has dismissed charges against one of the three men arrested in connection with the killings of Indigenous peoples expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon. The court ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence to proceed with a trial for the individual in question.
The man, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, a fisherman residing near the Itaquai River, was taken into custody on June 14, 2022, approximately nine days after the tragic events unfolded. His brother, Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, and Jefferson da Silva Lima were also arrested in connection with the case. Lima confessed to the killings but claimed self-defense. The Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region has upheld a lower court decision, determining that the two remaining suspects will face a jury trial.
Following the court's ruling, Oseney Oliveira, a father of four, is set to be released after spending 27 months in prison, primarily in a federal penitentiary located far from his hometown of Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon region where the crimes took place.
Another individual implicated in the case is a Colombian businessman named Rubens Villar Coelho, who is accused of orchestrating the killings. Coelho, the owner of a floating fish warehouse outpost, allegedly funded illegal fishermen operating on Indigenous land. He denies any involvement in the murders.
Univaja, an association representing Indigenous peoples of the Javari Valley where Pereira was working at the time of his death, expressed dismay and urged federal prosecutors to challenge the court's decision.
The victims, Phillips and Pereira, were attacked while traveling along the Itaquai River near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which shares borders with Peru and Colombia. Their bodies were subjected to gruesome treatment, including dismemberment, burning, and burial. The disappearance of the two individuals sparked widespread international outrage and calls for justice.
Bruno Pereira was a prominent advocate for Indigenous rights, particularly combating illegal fishing in the Javari area. Dom Phillips, a seasoned journalist, was focused on documenting Amazon preservation efforts for an upcoming book.
