Dilma announces members of the Truth Commission.
They are: José Carlos Dias (former Minister of Justice), Gilson Dipp (Minister of the Superior Court of Justice, pictured), Rosa Maria Cardoso da Cunha (lawyer), Cláudio Fontelles (former Deputy Attorney General of the Republic), Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (diplomat), Maria Rita Kehl (professor), and José Cavalcante Filho (jurist).
Agency Brazil – President Dilma Rousseff announced today (10) the seven members of the Truth Commission. They are: José Carlos Dias (former Minister of Justice), Gilson Dipp (Minister of the Superior Court of Justice), Rosa Maria Cardoso da Cunha (lawyer), Cláudio Fontelles (former Deputy Attorney General of the Republic), Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (diplomat), Maria Rita Kehl (professor) and José Cavalcante Filho (jurist). The members were presented by the spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic, Thomas Traumann, and their names will be published tomorrow (11) in the Official Gazette of the Union.
The seven members were chosen by the president herself based on criteria such as ethical conduct and work in defense of human rights. Dilma personally invited each of them, and she met with all seven today at the Planalto Palace. There is still no information on who will preside over the committee.
The Truth Commission will be officially installed on May 16th at 11:00 AM, in a ceremony attended by former presidents José Sarney, Fernando Collor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. "They have all confirmed their attendance, demonstrating that the Truth Commission is not a government commission, but a state commission," the spokesperson stated.
The Truth Commission will investigate human rights violations that occurred between 1946 and 1988, a period that includes the military dictatorship (1964-1988). The group will have two years to hear testimonies throughout the country, request and analyze documents that help clarify the human rights violations. According to the sanctioned text, the commission aims to clarify facts and will not have a punitive character.
The commission will make use of information produced 16 years ago by the Special Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances and ten years ago by the Amnesty Commission.
The law creating the Truth Commission was enacted last November. By law, individuals holding executive positions in political parties, those who "are unable to act impartially in the exercise of the commission's powers," or those "holding a commissioned position or position of trust in any sphere of the Public Power" are excluded.