Police arrests activists on iffy charges after forest fires at Alter do Chão

Brazilian civil society was taken by surprise when the Civil Police of Para State preventively arrested four volunteer firefighters in Alter do Chão, municipality of Santarém. The arrests were made as part of an operation that investigates the origin of forest fires that affected Alter do Chão back in September, which burnt an area the size of 1,600 football fields. According to the state civil police, investigations point that NGOs, among them the Alter do Chão Fire Brigade, acted to start the fires.

The police also raided the office for Saude e Alegria Project (PSA), using a generic search warrant to apprehend computers and paperwork. Just last week, the NGO won a prize as one of the Best 99 NGOs in Brazil. Caetano Scannavino, coordinator for PSA, said: “It’s a nightmare. What we can clearly see is a political action to try to demoralise NGOs working in the Amazon. It’s very worrisome.” Caetano says he personally knows the 4 arrested people, and one of them works for PSA. “They all seem to be extremely committed people”.

Later that day, a police sheriff with the Civil Police in Para said that they have plenty of investigative material on the alleged irregular work of NGOs in the state. He said that 3 local Santarém NGOs - Projeto Saúde e Alegria, Brigada Alter do Chão e Aquíferos Alter do Chão - received money from WWF Brazil to fight the fires, but that some of this money had been diverted. The information about money diversion was not part of the original denouncement that came to the public.

All 3 NGOs published notes and denied irregularities, saying that were taken by surprise with the accusations and making themselves available for the inquiries. On the 27th, during a custody hearing with the judge, the 4 detained volunteers asked for the suspension of the preventive arrests, but the request was denied. Their lawyer is now taking the case to the State Justice Court where a request for habeas corpus will be filed.

When asked to comment on this case, the Minister of the Environment only said it is a Para State led investigation and that it’s necessary to wait for the findings of the inquiry.