Conviction Upset in Brazil Slaying of Forest Activist
A state appeals court has annulled the conviction of a rancher for plotting the 1988 murder of Brazilian rain forest activist Chico Mendes.
Environmentalists called it a major step backward for their movement in Brazil.
The court in Rio Branco, in the Amazon jungle 2,600 miles northwest of Rio, overturned the 1990 conviction of rancher Darly Alves da Silva on Friday but upheld the conviction of his son, Darci Pereira. Both had been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Lawyers in Rio consulted about the case said the ruling was irregular and appeared to reflect the power and influence of ranchers like Alves da Silva in the isolated jungle region.
The slaying of Mendes, 44, helped bring world attention to the often deadly struggle between environmentalists and ranchers leveling large tracts of the world’s largest rain forest.
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