“The State of Bahia and all of Brasil have finally won! This judgment is much more than a successful and heroic struggle of a mother who witnessed the brutal murder of her son in front of her house and who can finally claim justice.It is also a powerful message of change in institutional practice. Finallythe citizens can put their trust in the institutions and fight to defend justice and their own rights whilst keeping their hopes alive.”

These are the words of Augusto Paula, a lawyer from Salvador de Bahia, who has always worked in the area of human rights. He was commenting the conviction to nineteen years and three months imprisonment of Ivan Menezes, formerly Prefect and also Mayor of Ubaira, who murdered Natur de Assis Filho his political opponent and leader of the Green Party of this Brasilian district, shooting him in the breast. The incident took place on 19th March 2001. Natur, at the time president of the Green Party, was taking part in the Communal Council as a member of the majority group.

The councillors met to discuss the sacking of five employees who had been employed irregularly by the previous council, whose mayor Lucio, was the brother-in-law of Menezes, the murderer.  After the meeting, forty members of the Greens went to a friend’s house, as they usually did, to watch the film of the Council meeting. Tragedy followed. A whole series of gunshots rattled the place. At that point Natur went out to try and calm the situation, believing that he could stop the murder-hungry intentions withwords. He was instantly killed in front of many stunned witnesses.

“The murderer has lived unpunished for far too long, due to the acquaintances and political links of the guilty,” Augusto Paula explained. Paula took this case very seriously and immediately started his fight to bring those responsible to jail. “It is a very important first step in the struggle against impunity and also the fact that two members from the present Lula government were present during the case is an important signal. Some things in this country are changing.”

In fact during the court sittings, Nilmàrio Miranda, the national secretary for human rights, and Walter Pires, minister of the commission responsible for the general control of the Union, were present. “We are pleased, even though Ivan Menezes will not be jailed for the time being until the appeal is over. Something is changing. We will continue to work, hope, and to fight – the lawyer explained – comforted by this clear sign of a novel and constructive attitude and action by the institutions against those who put lives at risk, those who go against the civil and democratic bases of  society.At last the State is taking action against those crimes that have for decades remained unpunished. Acts of violence that not only cost human lives and the desperation of the relatives of the deceased, but that attack directly universal human rights. Natur was a politician who had always fought for the rights of citizens. He was a symbol. And he was silenced. The executors were his political opponents, people who have been protected and who acted undisturbed assured by an aura of impenetrable impunity. This conviction is therefore very significant.”