Antonio Fernandez Saenz
Encyclopedia
Antonio Fernandez Saenz is a Spanish
-Brazil
ian lawyer
and human rights defender.
of Francisco Franco
.
His writing, exposing the Political repression
and torture
in Brazil
, brought him to the attention of agents of the Brazilian political police of the time, the DOI-CODI
, as well as the agents of the CISA (Brazilian Air Force Intelligence Agency). In order to avoid his arrest and torture
(a common practice in Brazil at that time) Saenz was forced by to stop writing while the dictatorship
of General Artur da Costa e Silva
lasted.
in 1972, he entered the Law School, graduating in 1975, and starting to practice law in the favela
s (shantytowns) and impoverished neighborhoods of São Paulo
and surrounding cities. People began to call him "the lawyer of the poor".
His work has continued uninterrupted for 30 years. He presently is a volunteer for several NGOs, as well as a full member of the Pastoral Commission for Human Rights of the Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missao Jesus (Pentecostal Church and Apostolic Mission of Jesus).
in 2005, in a case with international repercussions, he and three other members of the Pastoral Commission were illegally arrested while denouncing abuses including torture
, extortion
and sexually assaulting children by the civil and military police
of the State of São Paulo.
According to Amnesty International
, the police did not show a search warrant and they seized documents containing statements made by local residents making serious accusations against police officers. When Saenz tried to report this incident to the civil police he was threatened and afterwards he continued to receive death threats.
The events were also reported by the US State Department in its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005" on Brazil. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
on October 10, 2005 made a special appeal regarding Saenz and his close associates. It mentioned that Saenz had been providing legal assistance to Jardim Lavínia, Silvinha and Montanhão neighbourhoods in São Bernardo do Campo
, a town south of São Paulo. He had been working with his brothers Manuel Fernando Fernandez Saenz and José Fernandez Saenz, both evangelical ministers, and Dirce Ramiro de Andrade, a journalist working for the evangelical church. Dirce de Andrade was threatened with detention and prohibited from taking any photographs at the scene. When Dirce de Andrade, Antonio Fernandez Saenz, Manuel Fernando Fernandez and José Fernandez Saenz filed a complaint with the civil police, they were reportedly charged with “disobedience” and “disrespect of authority” before being released.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and human rights defender.
Early life
When he was a small child, his family emigrated from Spain to Brazil to escape the dictatorshipDictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
Political involvement
While a student, Saenz edited and contributed to several student newspapers. He was particularly active after 1964 when a military dictatorship was established that lasted until 1986.His writing, exposing the Political repression
Political repression
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take political life of society....
and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, brought him to the attention of agents of the Brazilian political police of the time, the DOI-CODI
DOI-CODI
The Destacamento de Operações de Informações - Centro de Operações de Defesa Interna was the Brazilian intelligence and repression agency during the military government . This period started on March 31, 1964 with the removal of the civilian government by military forces and ended in the 1984....
, as well as the agents of the CISA (Brazilian Air Force Intelligence Agency). In order to avoid his arrest and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
(a common practice in Brazil at that time) Saenz was forced by to stop writing while the dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
of General Artur da Costa e Silva
Artur da Costa e Silva
Artur da Costa e Silva was a Brazilian Army General, the second President of Brazil during the military regime set up by the 1964 coup d'état; he was born only a month before the coup that overthrow Dom Pedro II. He was married to Iolanda Barbosa Costa e Silva, the daughter of a soldier...
lasted.
Practice of law
Shortly after his return from a trip to United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1972, he entered the Law School, graduating in 1975, and starting to practice law in the favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
s (shantytowns) and impoverished neighborhoods of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and surrounding cities. People began to call him "the lawyer of the poor".
His work has continued uninterrupted for 30 years. He presently is a volunteer for several NGOs, as well as a full member of the Pastoral Commission for Human Rights of the Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missao Jesus (Pentecostal Church and Apostolic Mission of Jesus).
in 2005, in a case with international repercussions, he and three other members of the Pastoral Commission were illegally arrested while denouncing abuses including torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and sexually assaulting children by the civil and military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
of the State of São Paulo.
According to Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the police did not show a search warrant and they seized documents containing statements made by local residents making serious accusations against police officers. When Saenz tried to report this incident to the civil police he was threatened and afterwards he continued to receive death threats.
The events were also reported by the US State Department in its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005" on Brazil. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006...
on October 10, 2005 made a special appeal regarding Saenz and his close associates. It mentioned that Saenz had been providing legal assistance to Jardim Lavínia, Silvinha and Montanhão neighbourhoods in São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan São Paulo and São Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population...
, a town south of São Paulo. He had been working with his brothers Manuel Fernando Fernandez Saenz and José Fernandez Saenz, both evangelical ministers, and Dirce Ramiro de Andrade, a journalist working for the evangelical church. Dirce de Andrade was threatened with detention and prohibited from taking any photographs at the scene. When Dirce de Andrade, Antonio Fernandez Saenz, Manuel Fernando Fernandez and José Fernandez Saenz filed a complaint with the civil police, they were reportedly charged with “disobedience” and “disrespect of authority” before being released.
External links
- Information about CISA at http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-52582005000100005 )
- http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/docs/62chr/E.CN.4.2006.52.Add.1.pdf