Trader is sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau – 04/16/2024 – Environment

Trader João Carlos da Silva was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of indigenous leader Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, 34, found with marks of beating on April 18, 2020, on a road in Tarilândia, municipality of Jaru, in Rondônia.

The trial, which lasted almost 12 hours, was broadcast live by the Rondônia Court of Justice. The popular jury found the merchant guilty of the crime of qualified homicide. He will serve his sentence under an initial closed regime and will be able to appeal against the sentence.

According to the Public Ministry’s complaint, Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau went to the merchant’s bar on the night of April 17, 2020, a Friday. Silva would have offered the indigenous leader a drink before the murder.

Witnesses said that the merchant had said he would kill the indigenous leader because he was dissatisfied with the victim’s change in behavior after drinking.

The complaint points out that Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau was killed without being able to defend himself, because he was drunk when he was attacked, beaten and dragged.

According to allegations from the convicted man’s defense, there was not enough evidence about the authorship of the crime to allow the trial by the Jury Court.

The murdered indigenous leader was part of a surveillance group formed to monitor and report invasions of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indigenous Land, in Rondônia.

According to WWF-Brazil, the territory has 1.8 million hectares and is one of the last large forest remnants in Rondônia.

“This trial shows that we can believe that justice is being served,” said indigenous activist and activist Neidinha Suruí shortly after the conviction. “Now we need the mastermind, who helped him to murder Ari, to also be punished and answer for the crime.”

Before the trial, Txai Suruí, coordinator of the Ethno-environmental Defense Association-Kanindé and columnist for Sheetcalled for an end to violence against the guardians of the forest.

“We cannot allow Brazil to continue raping and killing our leaders and our defenders,” he said.