Brazil Ex-Mayor to Be Tried By Jury for Death of Journalist

Brazilian Radio man Nicanor Linhares Batista One of Brazil's highest federal courts, the Superior Tribunal of Justice (STJ), ruled on December 4 that Maria Arivan de Holanda Lucena, the former mayor of Limoeiro do Norte, in the northeastern state of Ceará, should be tried before an ordinary court for the 2003 murder of Nicanor Linhares Batista, the owner of Radio Vale do Jaguaribe, a radio station based in the town.

Batista was killed with 11 shots inside the studio of his radio station. There was strong rivalry between Lucena and Batista. The journalist was very critical of the mayor since 2000, when Batista backed the candidacy of state legislator Paulo Duarte from the PSDB party. The radio man started getting death threats before he was murdered.

Arivan and her husband, federal judge José Maria de Oliveira Lucena, are jointly accused of hiring the two hit-men who gunned down Linhares inside the radio station on June 30, 2003, while taping his daily political program.

When Lucena was formally charged on March 20, 2008, by the Superior Tribunal of Justice, which has the power to try judges, Arivan asked to be tried with him before the same court. The court's refusal means she will be tried by a jury.

The Paris-based, international freedom of press organization Reporters Without Borders released a comment about the information: "Five years after we wrote to President Lula on July 25, 2003. to request a thorough investigation, we hope the real masterminds of this murder will finally be tried. Their conviction will be a clear signal of a readiness to combat the impunity which public officials too often think they enjoy."

An outspoken critic of Arivan, Linhares had received death threats. His murder caused an outcry and the case was taken before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. A total of nine people have been charged in connection with the murder.

Batista's radio program was one of the most popular radio shows in the region. He was considered a controversial journalist and his hard-hitting commentaries made many local politicians angry. He was 42.

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil’s Surplus Reaches US$ 40 Billion, 33% More Than Last Year

Brazilian exports totaled US$ 2.543 billion last week, while imports tallied US$ 1.618 billion, ...

Brazil Revamping Tourism Infrastructure in Preparation for 2014 World Cup

In preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and in an effort to strengthening ...

Brazil Dreams of United South from the Caribbean to Patagonia

Argentina's change of leadership is an opportunity for closer political links and economic ties ...

American Marketing Expert Tells Brazil How to Go Global

Global marketing does not exist. This is the statement of the  American Richard Monturo, ...

Japan Premier Koisumi Wants Brazil as World Partner

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met today with the Prime Minister of ...

Brazil Has Best Science Base Outside G8, says UK

A British spokesman for the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) said that Brazil has ...

IDB to Hold Its Next Annual Assembly in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received the president of the Inter-American Development ...

People for Export

If the exodus has helped in some way to alleviate the unemployment problem the ...

Brazil’s Lula Starts to Throw His Weight Around

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s statement that the financial crisis had been caused ...

Porno with redeeming value

CDs or Books by Keyword, Title or Author By "What’s the name of what ...