16 Aug 11 | Index Index, minipost
Marina Silva, a photojournalist for Brazilian newspaper Correio, was arrested on 11 August while covering the killing of a military police sergeant in the northeastern city of Salvador de Bahía. The military police claimed that Silva challenged the police officers, while reports say that Silva and other witnesses deny the allegation. The Bahian Journalists’ Union accused the police of brutality, claiming in a statement that officers broke Silva’s arm, pushed her against a vehicle and tried to break her camera. The Secretary of Public Security in Bahía said the case is under investigation and promised to determine if the police used excessive force in the journalist’s arrest.
10 Aug 11 | Index Index, minipost
Rodrigo Rangel, a journalist with Brazilian magazine Veja, was assaulted by his interviewee on the afternoon of 4 August at a restaurant in Brasilia, according to newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. Veja said Rangel went to speak with lobbyist Júlio Fróes for an article about supposed corruption and influence peddling in the Ministry of Agriculture. The two spoke for about half an hour when Fróes began kicking and beating the reporter. The lobbyist also threatened Rangel and took his notebook. The scene was witnessed by several people, and a complaint was filed with the police department.
28 Jul 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The controversial ‘A Serbian Film’ has been banned from being screened at the RioFan film festival by the event’s main sponsor, Brazilian national bank Caixa Econômica Federal. A statement on the festival’s website says organisers were given no further information behind the decision to veto the film’s screening. Meanwhile, a statement from a spokesman of the bank’s board claims “not every creative product fits in an unrestrained way in any medium or place.” RioFan responded by saying it opposes all forms of censorship.
‘A Serbian Film’ has raised controversy for its depictions of pornography and violence. It was cut from London’s FrightFest film festival last year, while in May the director of Spain’s Sitges film festival, Angel Sala, was charged with the exhibition of child pornography in connection with an adults-only screening of the film.
24 Jun 11 | Index Index, minipost
Journalist and political leader, Edinaldo Figueira, was shot to death on 15 June. He founded a Brazilian newspaper and was president of a branch of the Workers’ Party in Brazil’s northern state of Rio Grande do Norte. He also blogged regularly on local politics. It is rumoured Figueira’s killing is retribution for his recent blogpost critizing city officials.
