Allegation Letter regarding Excessive and Lethal Use of Force in Brazil (27 June 2022)

Subject: Information received concerning recent alleged incidence of excessive and lethal use of force by law enforcement officials in Brazil. This includes the use of such force during a police raid in Favela Cruzeiro, Rio de Janeiro, leading to the death of at least 23 individuals, the majority of whom are reported to be Afro-Brazilians. It also includes the case of Mr. Genivaldo de Jesus Santos an Afro-Brazilian individual who is alleged to have been subjected to lethal force in the context of a traffic stop. Such allegations are the most recent manifestations of alleged patterns of the sustained and systemic use of excessive and lethal force resulting in the arbitrary deprivation of life in Brazil, with a disproportionate impact on Afro-Brazilians and continuing impunity for such violations.