Antuérpio Pettersen Filho, blogger in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo and editor of digital newspaper Grito Cidadão, received death threats after publishing a report accusing a police official of being part of a militia, reported the blog Vi o Mundo.
Pettersen, who also is president of the Brazilian Association of the Defense of the Individual and Citizenship, said the threats were a result of the story “Julio César: Official Accused of Forming Militia in Espíritu Santo,” which was published on his blog. According to the blogger, the official, Julio César Oliveira Silva was part of the Death Squad — a paramilitary organization from the 1960s — and he allegedly continues to be involved in organized crime today.
The story has had repercussions on social media and blogs, and according to the blog Maria Frô, a complaint has been filed with the ministries of Justice and Human Rights.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
