Brazil prosecutors charge three with murder of British journalist, indigenous expert

Issued on: 24/07/2022 – 11:09

They are all local river dwellers, and their motive was that Pereira asked Phillips to photograph them as they passed by in a boat, the statement said. The area is a hotspot for illegal fishing and poaching.

Phillips and Pereira had met indigenous people at the entrance to the indigenous area of ​​the Javari Valley, which borders Peru and Colombia, and were traveling along the Itaquai River back to the town of Atalaia do Norte when they were attacked. Their disappearance sparked intense international outcry and pressure to take action, and with the help of local indigenous peoples, authorities found their bodies hidden in the forest.

Prosecutors presented their charges Thursday, outlining that two of the men — Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima — confessed to the crime, while witness statements indicate that Oseney da Costa de Oliveira also participated, according to the statement.

Pereira had had previous confrontations with fishermen confiscating their catch and had received multiple threats. Carrying a gun, he had left the Federal Bureau of Indigenous Affairs to teach the local Indigenous people to patrol their land and gather photographic evidence of geotagged crime.

On the day they were killed, Pereira transported such evidence to authorities in Atalaia do Norte, and he was shot three times. Phillips, who was researching for a book called “How to Save the Amazon,” was murdered because “just because he was with Bruno, to ensure impunity for the previous crime,” the prosecutors said.

There is speculation in the Brazilian press that their murder may have been ordered by the leader of an illegal fishing network. Police arrested a fourth man earlier this month when he presented false documents, believing he might have some involvement, but no charges have been filed yet.

(AP)