The photo, taken by Iugo Koyama in April 1979, shows the then unionist in ABC Paulista distributing pro-amnesty leaflets during the last period of the military dictatorship.
The mobilization process for the approval of the "collective pardon" began in 1975 by civil society organizations, and concluded four years later, in August 1979, with the Amnesty Law signed by then-president João Baptista Figueiredo, the last dictator of Brazil.
It is a form of collective extinction of punishability, provided for in the Penal Code. Basically, it is a kind of "pardon," granted within the law, for some crime committed, through a law approved by Congress. In total, the law benefited 4,650 people, among those punished for exceptional acts who were imprisoned, dismissed, banished, exiled, or removed from their jobs.
Among the beneficiaries, who would have committed political crimes or crimes motivated by political reasons between September 1961 and August 1979, are those who had their political rights suspended and union representatives punished by the military regime legislation – #Lula was arrested the following year, in 1980, for leading a strike.
The amnesty, however, also spared military personnel who, in the exercise of their national security functions, acted against the lives of those accused of political crimes. This meant forgiveness for police and military personnel who committed torture, murder, illegal arrests, and other crimes against political militants considered subversive during the period.
Amnesty in Congress
With the trial for the receipt of the complaint for attempted coup d'état scheduled for the next day 25 in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), #bolsonaro tries to pave the way for forgiveness. The USA is watching closely and waiting for a face-to-face conversation with the Brazilian government. #trumpwarbrazil