Newspaper from the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo don´t publish article criticizing local government

The newspaper A Tribuna, based in Vitória, capital of the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo, decided not to publish an article from the journalist Elio Gaspari, about a report (warning: strong images) portraying human rights abuse in the State´s prisons. The newspaper usually publishes Gaspari´s articles on Sundays, but did not issue the piece “As masmorras de Hartun aparecerão na ONU” (Hartung´s dungeons will be shown in the UN”). The report was due to be presented in the United Nations on the following week. Paulo Hartung is the governor of Espírito Santo.

The vehicle´s executive-editor would later state that Gaspari´s article was not published due to a technical issue, without specifying which. After the possible censorship, Gaspari, who is published in a number of media vehicles nationwide, decided to cease publishing in A Tribuna.
 
In the article, Gaspari describes pictures present on the report. They portray three prisoner´s dismembered bodies, “one in a can, the other in boxes and a head inside a plastic bag”. The journalist stresses that all of the crimes had occurred during Hartung´s administration. “Since the boiling of prisoners in Uzbekistan the world hadn´t seen anything alike”, he wrote.
 
According to the journalist, the problem was old, but had to be brought to the UN since the human rights organizations could not get the government to act. “Espírito Santo has 7.000 prisoners spread throughout 26 jails, with an overcrowding of 1800 people. There are prisoners kept in containers without bathroom (equipment known as “microwaves”). Cells projected for 36 prisoners are occupied by 235 unfortunate people. Some of them get to the point of being cuffed by their feet in rooms and hallways”.
 
Ângelo Roncalli, the state´s secretary of Justice recognized the problems in the State´s prison system, but alleged to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo that “heavy” investment had been made, with the inauguration of 16 new prison units and the prediction of 11 more until march, 2011.