The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) filed an appeal asking that the trial of defendant Oseney da Costa Oliveira be maintained by a popular jury, for the murder of indigenous man Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips. For the MPF, Oliveira should be tried for double qualified homicide. The appeal was presented on Tuesday (1st), to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ).
The Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (Univaja) had already requested that the MPF intervened. The entity argued that this is a case “so important and symbolic for the country’s indigenous movement” and that, therefore, it should be “conducted correctly and impeccably”.
Oseney Oliveira, also known as Dos Santos, is one of the three defendants in the case. The other defendants are his brother, Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, aka Pelado, and Jefferson da Silva Lima, nicknamed Pelado da Dinha. Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips were executed in 2022, in the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land, in western Amazonas.
On September 17, the 4th Panel of the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF1) analyzed an appeal from the defendants’ defense and decided to maintain the trial of Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima by popular jury. However, he understood that there was not enough evidence to confirm Oseney da Costa Oliveira’s participation in the crimesomething that the MPF disputes.
One of the aspects that the MPF considers most consistent and that it uses as an argument against Oseney is that, in Jefferson da Silva Lima’s confession, Amarildo called on his brother and other relatives to capture the indigenist and the British journalist. The MPF also states that “there is testimonial evidence placing Oseney at the scene of the crimes, including details of his meeting with his brother Amarildo on the day and time of the murders, such as the report that Amarildo was waiting for his brother, on his boat, and that that he was in a hurry to find Amarildo”.
Furthermore, Oseney is said to be responsible for revealing the location of the victims’ bodies. “Finally, on the date of the events, he was carrying a weapon, and, in his house, which was close to the scene of the crimes, the victims’ property was found, which even served as a shelter for Jefferson after the police investigation began”, writes the organ in note.
“The scenario above reveals that, despite not having carried out the nucleus of the homicide type (‘killing someone’), Oseney probably contributed, in any case, to the criminal practice, whether with his physical presence in the locus delicti [local onde o crime foi cometido]whether responding to a call from his brother Amarildo to kill Dom and Bruno, or revealing where the bodies were”, concludes the MPF, which highlights that, although perhaps Oseney was not as responsible as his alleged accomplices, he was involved in the crime and must be punished proportionately.
Still in prison, Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima will be tried for double homicide and hiding the victims’ bodies. Oseney now awaits the conclusion of the case trial under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
