Rights group: Brazil must scrap Amnesty Law

Brazil must revoke a law that prevents those responsible for executions and rape during the 1964-1985 military government from being investigated and prosecuted, rights group Amnesty International urged Friday. The London-based charity called on President Dilma Rousseff to repeal the 1979 Amnesty Law that protects those suspected of "torture, extra-legal executions, enforced disappearances and rape" during the 21-year rule from being probed. "This law is a scandal and doing nothing but preventing justice," said Susan Lee, Americas Director at Amnesty International. "It must be declared void and those responsible for human rights abuses brought to justice without delay," she added. A judicial challenge to the law failed in 2010 and Rousseff has publicly promised the military that the law was "untouchable". The law has been criticised by the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee, who ruled that such amnesties were incompatible with human rights obligations. "By upholding a law that allows crimes such as torture and murder to go unpunished, Brazil is falling behind other countries in the region that have made serious efforts to deal with these issues," warned Lee.