Renildo José dos Santos
(? - 1993) Brazil
Municipal councillor
One of the most brutal attacks involved a rural town council member in the eastern state of Alagoas. In 1993, after Renildo Jose dos Santos said in a radio interview he was gay, the Coqueiro Seco council immediately ousted him. When he received death threats, the Gay Group of Bahia tried to persuade Canada to grant him political asylum.
Before a response came, dos Santos was kidnapped, tortured and killed. After his severed head was found, five men, including the mayor, were arrested. But nobody was ever charged, and the suspects were released. His assassination became a case taken on by Amnesty International.
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