The Hindu : International : Menezes' family for public probe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 26, 2005

International

International

Menezes' family for public probe

Hasan Suroor

Relatives of the slain Brazilian youth meet Tony Blair, hand over letter

LONDON: Relatives of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian victim of police killing, have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding a full and independent inquiry into the circumstances that led the police to shoot the 27-year-old electrician in a south London tube station on July 22 after mistaking him for a terrorist.

Menezes's cousin Alessandro Pereira, accompanied by Justice4Jean campaigners, held a protest outside Downing Street after handing over a letter.

"Police telling lies"

Amid chants of "No Justice, No Peace,'' Mr. Pereira accused the police of telling "more and more lies,'' and said the family was determined to get at the truth. In a statement, he said: "I have just handed a letter to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair on behalf of the family both here and in Brazil.

I am calling on him to make sure that those responsible for the murder of Jean are brought to justice.

The family also calls for a full public inquiry into all the circumstances into the death — including the shoot-to-kill policy and the lies we have been told by the Metropolitan Police. Every day we discover more and more lies. We have heard too many, we simply demand truth and justice."

Police denied a cover-up and claimed that details of the circumstances of the death were given to his family two days after the incident.

In that briefing, police admitted Mr. Menezes' was "not wearing a padded jacket or carrying a bag'' as had been reported. They also admitted that he did not run or vault over the ticket barrier.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International