The external committee which follows up the investigations on neo-Nazis crimes in Brazil requires that Brazilian Federal Police also investigates the crimes related to these groups. Last Monday (13), the members of the chamber attended the public hearing on the topic at the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul. The local Civil Police has been investigating the action of people that defend the German dictator Adolf Hitler’s (1889 -1945) ideology, since they are suspect of planning and accomplishing attacks against homosexuals and Jews.

For the External Committee’s coordinator Marcelo Itagiba, member of the chamber by the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the Civil Police marshal César Jardim revealed in his testimony that the gang has ramifications in another states, justifying the action of the Brazilian Federal Police in the case.

“He provided important information that will enable us to perform hearings in São Paulo and Paraná as well, because there is a connection between the neo-Nazis groups in Brazil. And we will request to the Brazilian Federal Police a survey of the phone calls accomplished between Brazilian groups from another South America countries with Brazil”, said Itagiba.

The Bill
Besides the marshals, the committee heard journalists and social movements representatives.

Itagiba expects that the board’s work influences the members of the chamber to approve the bill presented by him. The text forecasts from two to five years of arrestment and fine for those who deny the holocaust occurrence in order to encourage prejudice acts.

The member of the chamber by the Worker’s Party, Maria do Rosário, also attended the hearing in Porto Alegre, and she emphasized that the organization and the armament of the neo-Nazis groups is a burden.

“The Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul identified these groups’ armaments, theoretical production (texts, books), recruitment and organization ways, including the presence of them in organized football teams fans, besides the creation of musical bands and this particular type of music. There is a great concern about the invasion of this kind of racist ideology and violent in many places attended by young people", she said.

According to Maria do Rosário, the committee must pressure in order to accelerate the trials of murder attempts against Jews. She said that, in the case of homosexual people, the victims give up making a complaint because they are afraid of suffering by prejudice in the police station.

Reporting - Alexandre Pôrto/Rádio Câmara
Edition - João Pitella Junior
Translation – Grupo Solucion/Maria Carolina Marcelino Ogata