OAB-RJ (Brazilian Bar Association of Rio de Janeiro) is unaware of Black Bloc's asylum request.

OAB representative in charge of the case of lawyer Eloisa Samy Santiago, João Pedro Pádua said today (21) that the Order did not recommend nor was consulted about the request for political asylum in Uruguay; "It was her personal decision. She may have consulted someone, but not us," said Pádua; Eloísa had her preventive detention ordered last Friday (18); she and fellow activist David Paixão are at the Uruguayan Consulate General in Rio, where they sought refuge.

July 21, 2014, 23:05 pmUpdated July 09, 2018, 13:29 pm

OAB representative in charge of the case of lawyer Eloisa Samy Santiago, João Pedro Pádua said today (21) that the Order did not recommend nor was consulted about the request for political asylum in Uruguay; "It was her personal decision. She may have consulted someone, but not us," said Pádua; Eloísa had her preventive detention ordered last Friday (18); she and fellow activist David Paixão are at the Uruguayan Consulate General in Rio, where they sought shelter (Photo: Aquiles Lins)

Alana Gandra, from Agência Brasil - The vice-president of the Prerogatives Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro Section (OAB/RJ), João Pedro Pádua, in charge of the case of lawyer Eloisa Samy Santiago, said today (21) that the OAB neither recommended nor was consulted about the request for political asylum in Uruguay.

Eloisa and fellow activist David Paixão are at the Uruguayan Consulate General in Rio, where they sought refuge.

"It was her personal decision. She may have consulted someone, but not us," said Padua. The lawyer had her preventive detention ordered last Friday (18).

Padua reported that the OAB/RJ commission continues to defend Eloisa Samy Santiago in court, but not regarding the asylum measure. He expects a response today regarding the habeas corpus petition for the lawyer, concerning her preventive detention. "The decision will come out today, but whether it will be favorable, I have no way of knowing," he said.

Eloisa was arrested in Operation Firewall, launched on the 12th by the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, in compliance with 26 arrest warrants and two search and seizure warrants for minors issued by the courts. On that occasion, 17 adults were arrested and two minors were apprehended for involvement in violent acts during demonstrations in Rio. The operation followed up on investigations initiated in September of last year by the Cybercrime Repression Division (DRCI).

The arrests took place in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Búzios (RJ) and Porto Alegre. According to the police, masks, gasoline, a stun gun, a revolver, an explosive device, a flare, drugs, computers, and cell phones were seized. Two other people were arrested in the act for possession of weapons and drugs.