Brazil: Assassination attempt against human rights defender Joao Tancredo

Your Excellency

I am deeply concerned following an assassination attempt made against the human rights defender Joao Tancredo. Joao Tancredo is the President of the Institute of Human Rights Defenders and ex-president of the Human Rights Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association.

On 19 January 2008, Joao Tancredo was returning from a meeting with residents of the favela of Furquim Mendes in Vigario Geral, Rio de Janeiro, when his car was shot at four times by two unidentified men in helmets on a motorcycle. Joao Tancredo had just attended a meeting with residents of the favela, where he was listening to testimonies about killings that have allegedly been carried out by a state policeman known as the ‘Predator”

Joao Tancredo has received threats in the past, and due to these threats, his car was armoured to protect his safety. It is believed that due to the fact that his car was armoured Joao Tancredo was not killed in this incident.

I believe that Joao Tancredo was targeted as a result of his legitimate human rights activities. Concern is expressed for his physical and psychological integrity, as well as that of all members of the Institute of Human Rights Defenders.

I urge the authorities in Brazil to:

· Initiate an immediate, impartial and exhaustive investigation into the assassination attempt and threats against human rights defender Joao Tancredo;

· Take necessary measures to guarantee the security and physical and psychological integrity of Joao Tancredo, as well as that of all members of the Institute of Human Rights Defenders;

· Take measures to put an end to the intimidation of human rights defenders, ensuring that all human rights defenders in Brazil, carrying out their legitimate work in human rights, are able to operate free of all restrictions and harassment.

Yours sincerely,