Manoel Leal De Oliveira v. Brazil (Report) IACHR (27 March 2010) Report No. 37/10

Mr. De Oliveira, a Brazilian journalist, was murdered following the publication in his newspaper a report on the corrupt and criminal activities of state officials in Bahia.  Despite numerous reports linking public officials with the murder, the investigation was closed for lack of evidence after 9 months.  The Commission considered the case in the context of patterns of deaths of journalists in Bahia State following their reporting on corrupt activities of public officials including links to drug trafficking and other criminal enterprise.  The Commission held the State was responsible for violations of the right to life, to freedom of expression, to a fair trial and to effective judicial protection for the failure to investigate and hold those responsible for the act.