Bahia State will make amends for murdered journalist´s family

The State of Bahia (BA) has announced that it will compensate with R$ 100 thousand (around U$60 thousand) journalist Manoel Leal´s family, murdered in 1998 in the city of Itabuna (BA). The announcement was made last Monday (21) by Governor Jaques Wagner in a ceremony that has recognized the State´s responsibility in the case.

"The discussion about the State´s guilt on violence acts is a controversial theme, but, in this case, it is a gesture that demonstrates a bit of our preoccupation with the harm caused by political persecussion in Bahia", said the governor.

The indemnity and the ceremony were a recommendation of the Interamerican Committee of Human Rights (CIDH) from the OAS (Organization of American States), that has considered the Bahia State responsible for the crime due to its omission on the guarantee of security and on the investigations. This was the first time that a Brazilian State takes a CIDH´s decision to repair a journalist´s death for not guaranteeing his security.

Crime
Manoel Leal was shot six times while opening his house´s gate in Itabuna. The journalist was killed one month after he started to publish a series of reports denouncing irregularities on ex-mayor Geraldo Simões´ government. Leal was owner of the newspaper "A Região", opposition against the then-mayor Fernando Gomes.

Although three people accused of the crime have been arrested so far, it remains unclarified. "One of the executioners of the crime is now arrested, but it is necessary to identify the ones who have given the orders", said the journalist´s son, Marcel Leal.