(IPYS/IFEX) – On 16 December 2005, photojournalist Eduardo Alves and editor Sérgio Marques were briefly detained by military police in Franca, São Paulo, after arguing with soldiers over their right to take photographs in the city’s central plaza. Both men work for the daily newspaper “Comércio de Franca.” The incident began when Alves took a […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 16 December 2005, photojournalist Eduardo Alves and editor Sérgio Marques were briefly detained by military police in Franca, São Paulo, after arguing with soldiers over their right to take photographs in the city’s central plaza. Both men work for the daily newspaper “Comércio de Franca.”
The incident began when Alves took a picture of three children, detained by the police for attempting to rob a store, as they sat in a police vehicle. In reaction, an official asserted that photography was not permitted, demanded that the photographer provide his identification, and tried to get Alves to sign an internal police document. Alves contacted his newspaper to request help.
Upon receiving the call from Alves, Marques went to the plaza and queried one of the soldiers. At first, the military police refused to respond. When Marques asked to speak to a superior officer, he was accosted by three officials. The “Comércio de Franca” published photographs of the confrontation.
Once at the police station, the soldiers tried to charge Marques with contempt, and Marques to charge them with abuse of authority. Neither charge was carried forward.
Marques affirmed that it would be difficult to publish the photographs of the children. The Children’s and Adolescents’ Statute (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente) prohibits the publication of images of children in humiliating situations.
It was clarified during the dispute that the over-zealousness of the police stemmed from their impression that an officer had been included in one of the photographs.
This alert was prepared by IPYS with information provided by the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo, ABRAJI).
