THE “OPPRESSIVE SEARCH” consists of an extremely humiliating search, during which the relatives and friends of prisoners are required to undress and have their private parts inspected when they visit, under the pretext of barring the entry of drugs and mobile phones into the prisons. Relatives of detainees – including pregnant and elderly women and infants – have to endure intimate searches when they visit their relatives in the Brazilian prison system. The practice, which also includes stripping naked, being forced to squat and intimate searches, is known in Brazil as the “oppressive search”. In October 2013, Conectas and partners staged a seminar with national and international experts to address strategies and solutions to put a stop to this practice. Read more here.
In March 2014, Conectas, in partnership with the Criminal Justice Network, launched a national campaign to end the oppressive search. The campaign was announced at a press conference held at the organization’s headquarters. The press conference also marked the launch of the campaign website, which, besides featuring videos of the actress Denise Fraga and the rapper Dexter reading statements written by the victims of the searches, also contained a message for the President of the Senate – Renan Calheiro – calling for the approval of Bill No. 7764/2014 that bans oppressive searches at Brazilian prisons. Access the campaign website here. In June 2014, the bill was approved unanimously in the Senate. Read more here and here.
On the international level, Conectas and partners denounced the oppressive search at the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council, with a request of support for the bill and the establishment of minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. Read more here and here.
IN 2014, CONECTAS will continue to fight for the approval of the federal law and monitor the advocacy actions already undertaken by the organization on the subject, such as the public civil action against the state of São Paulo for reparation for the harm caused to the victims of the searches. Read more here.
