Federal deputy Ivan Valente (PSOL-SP) obtained, this Thursday (30), political amnesty and received a formal apology from the Brazilian State for the persecution during the years of military dictatorship. The decision came from the Amnesty Commission, currently linked to the Ministry of Human Rights (MDH), which held its first meeting during the Lula administration and after having undergone a reformulation. Work was reopened on the eve of the 59th anniversary of the military coup in Brazil.
This Thursday’s deliberation marks a resumption of the collegiate’s position, which, in recent years, has denied different requests for amnesty, including that of Valente. The parliamentarian was arrested and tortured during the regime of the generals. The apology on behalf of the State was made by the current president of the commission, Eneá de Stutz e Almeida.
“I think it’s a rescue because we have a trajectory of practically 50 years and we went through the whole process of resistance to the dictatorship, with clandestinity, imprisonment, torture, condemnation to three years in prison and still the non-recognition of the amnesty. When we entered ( with the request), Bolsonaro happened to pick my name and Dilma’s exactly as examples to annul amnesty processes, including against the records, lying. We were judged by an exceptional court”, said Ivan to Brazil in fact.
Data from the MDH show that the Temer and Bolsonaro governments denied 95% of the requests for reparation that reached the Amnesty Commission. Now, around 4,000 processes will be reviewed. This Thursday, three cases were judged in addition to that of Ivan Valente and all of them had the amnesty recognized. The four will receive compensation from the Brazilian State by decision of the collegiate. In the case of the psolista deputy, the amount will be R$ 200,000, to be paid in installments by the federal government.
“Today, with the return of Brazil to democracy, we were pleased to hear the State’s request for pardon to those who fought against the dictatorship and for freedom in Brazil. So, we are quite satisfied because now there is a real Amnesty Commission, a Ministry of real human rights, and not against human rights,” said Valente.
Editing: Nicolau Soares