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Compiled By GayToday
Rosana and Marli were discriminated against and tortured for being lesbians. They want your help for justice to be done. Denouncement of Discrimination and Torture! Let justice be done in the case of Marli Barbosa and Rosana Lage.
Once in prison, the police offered freedom in exchange for an "agreement". They were beaten with rubber truncheons and had their hair pulled by policemen, they suffered threats of sexual violence and death, racial discrimination due to one of them being Negro, as well as discrimination for being from Sao Paulo and principally due to their being lesbians. They were beaten up for not signing a statement admitting to the crime. The torture sessions were repeated on other occasions. They were kept imprisoned for 11 months. All of these denouncements were made to Judge Silvania Esperia da Silva, of the 3rd District of the Borough of Jaboatao, Pernambuco, who failed to take any action. Despite these two women not knowing, never having met with or spoken to the other two accused parties in the case, Paulo Fernando and Jose Augusto, let alone having paid them money, they were accused of being co-authors of the crime, in accordance with a court decision. Two appeals were made in the State of Pernambuco requesting their acquittal, based on their innocence and on mistakes made both in the police investigations and in the decision of the court. Even so, the judge's decision to have the two women tried by jury was maintained. At the moment, the appeal is being considered by the Brazilian Supreme Court, specifically by the Minister Vicente Leal, of the 6th Division. The UMSP (Sao Paulo Women's Union), the objective of which is to promote women's citizenship, and the Grupo CORSA (Citizenship, Pride, Respect, Solidarity, Love), appeal to you to protest to the Brazilian Justice Ministry. A petition can be signed at the web sites www.gay.com.br and the Official Magazine of the Sao Paulo GLBT Gay Pride March in protest against this act of discrimination. Below there are also several addresses to which one can send correspondence in solidarity with Marli and Rosana. Fill in the boxes below and click on the [ABAIXO-ASSINO] button to send a petition: I, (name) Of (nationality) Resident in (select your state) Bearer of ID no. Sign the petition [ABAIXO-ASSINO] against the false accusation that Marli Jose da Silva Barbosa and Rosana Lage Ligeiro are co-authors of the murder of Joseth Pessoa Siqueira, which occurred between May 23rd and May 24th 1996 in the town of Jaboatao dos Guararapes in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, as well as the acts of discrimination and torture they suffered from the police. Brazilian Justice Minister National Human Rights Department - Justice Ministry Governor of the State of Pernambuco Federal Representative Nilmario Miranda President of the Human Rights Commission of the House of Representatives Translation from web page: www.gay.com.br/marli_rosana/default.htm |
Rosana Lage and Marli Barbosa
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