The following is based on a communication sent by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Government of Brazil on 12 November 2024. The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. The Government replied on 14 January 2025.
Since sending the communication, Mr. Antônio Francisco de Sousa Araujo has been incorporated into the state protection programme for HRDs – it is essential that he receives adequate protection. Steps have also been taken to address the land insecurity at the heart of the risks Antônio faces.
This is a shorter version of the original communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: threats and attacks against human rights defender Antônio Francisco de Sousa Araújo in the state of Maranhão, concerns for his physical safety and for that of other human rights defenders in the rural Vergel community.
Mr. Antônio Francisco de Sousa Araújo is a human rights defender and leader of the Vergel community, located 51 kilometres from the town of Codó in the state of Maranhão. The community was founded by rural workers over 100 years ago, with its residents living from small-scale agricultural activities. For many years, Mr. Araújo has been prominent in denouncing illegal land grabbing and land occupations by farmers and loggers in the community, four members of which, all of whom were relatives of Mr. Araújo, have been murdered since 2007, including his brother, in 2021. These killings, which have occurred in the context of land conflict in the community, currently remain in impunity.
ALLEGATIONS
Since at least 2015, Mr. Araújo has been subjected to threats in response to his defence of the land rights of his community in the face of attempts by farmers and loggers to enter and control land in the area. These threats have been made against Mr. Araújo directly, in person.
In March 2023, a new series of attacks by persons seeking to control land in the Vergel community began. On 6 July 2023, the human rights defender filed a lawsuit at the Agrarian Court of the District of São Luís, which has jurisdiction to act in cases of collective agrarian conflicts, seeking protection for his family’s land, and obtained a favourable decision ordering the removal of persons who had invaded his property. On the same date, the human rights defender filed a request to be included in the State Programme for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (PPDDH). This request was rejected by the State Secretariat of Human Rights of the State of Maranhão.
On 12 October 2024, an armed man attempted to break into Mr. Araújo’s home. Upon noticing the intruder, Mr. Araújo and his family closed the doors and windows and hid. On 24 October 2024, a second attempt was made to break into the human rights defender’s home, reportedly by the same man.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express concern as to the physical security of Mr. Antônio Francisco de Sousa Araújo, his family and fellow community members, and fear that they may be at risk for seeking to defend their human rights. We stress that human rights defenders in remote and isolated areas face aggravated security risks, and urge the State to review Mr. Araújo’s need for protection, in light of the above detailed allegations.
