Agência Brasil

Brasilia - The Brazilian government expressed its disgust over new information concerning the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, a Brazilian citizen, in London, and plans to send a team to deal with the case. Jean, who was 27 years old, was assassinated by the British police on July 22. The policemen made a mistake, confusing the Brazilian with a terrorist who supposedly participated in the London subway attacks on July 21.

In a note released yesterday (18), the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts that "the most recent news reports, together with impressive video images focusing the tragic circumstances that led to the death of the Brazilian citizen, Jean Charles de Menezes, have intensified the indignation of the Brazilian government."

Next Monday (22), the Brazilian government plans to send two representatives to London: the Assistant Attorney General of the Republic and General Magistrate of the Federal Attorney's Office, Wagner Gonçalves, and the Deputy Director of the Department of Assets Recovery and International Legal Cooperation of the Ministry of Justice, Márcio Pereira Pinto Garcia.

The two of them will meet with representatives of the Independent Police Overseers' Commission (IPCC), as well as the sub-commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, John Yates, as well as other British government officials. "The Brazilian government expects to obtain a full explanation, including information recently released by the press," the note issued by the Ministry of Foreign Relations states.

On July 25, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, met in London with the British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw. On that occasion, Amorim manifested the "shock and perplexity of the Brazilian government," the note says.

Translation: David Silberstein