GENEVA - UN experts* today expressed grave concern over the deadliest police operation in the history of Brazil, which has left at least 120 people dead, including four police officers, and called on Brazilian authorities to ensure an independent investigation with a view to ensuring accountability, halt ongoing human rights violations and ensure the protection of witnesses, relatives, and human rights defenders.
The operation, known as "Operação Contenção," was conducted on 28 October 2025 in the Alemão and Penha complexes, which are predominantly inhabited by people of African descent. According to information received, some bodies were found with hands tied or gunshot wounds to the back of the head. Residents also reported homes being raided without warrants being shown, arbitrary arrests and the use of helicopters and drones to fire projectiles.
"The scale of violence, the nature of the reported killings, and the consequences on poor communities of African descent living in urban peripheral areas expose a deeply entrenched pattern of racialised policing and impunity," the experts said. "These acts may amount to unlawful killings and must all be investigated promptly, independently, and thoroughly."
The experts expressed alarm at threats to criminalise relatives of victims, residents, and human rights defenders who helped recover bodies the following morning. "We are particularly concerned about reprisals against families and witnesses. Authorities must guarantee their life, safety and personal integrity, and prevent any form of intimidation, harassment or criminalisation," they said. "It is the responsibility of the authorities to preserve the scene for subsequent forensic examination."
They urged Brazilian authorities to immediately:
- Halt all ongoing operations resulting in excessive use of force and ensure that no further unnecessary loss of civilian life occurs;
- Protect witnesses, relatives, community members and human rights defenders from reprisals and arbitrary prosecution;
- Preserve all evidence and safeguard the chain of custody in all cases of killings and other possible violations with a view to hold those responsible to account;
- Ensure independent forensic examinations and investigations in line with international human rights standards;
- Comply with international standards on the use of force, including during protests related to the events, and ensure accountability for all police wrongdoing.
United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms have repeatedly raised concerns regarding excessive use of force by law enforcement officials in Brazil. The experts called for action to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities.
"This tragic event underscores the urgent need for Brazil to reform its security policies, which continue to perpetuate a model of racialised brutal police violence. Brazilian authorities must break with the legacy of impunity which has characterised similar events in the past," they said.
In a report published last year, the experts found that Brazil's police culture and public security policy rely on repression, violence, and hypermasculinity. Police kill over 6,000 people annually - mostly of African descent - "These killings - often in operations targeting "criminals" - are widespread and systematic, functioning as a form of social cleansing against marginalised groups," they said. In addition, in his latest report to the General Assembly the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions urged the adoption of "zero tolerance" for police killings and implementation of the report's recommendations.
The experts wrote to the Brazilian Government about their concerns, urging the adoption of emergency measures without delay, and requesting information on steps taken to ensure accountability, remedy and reparation for the victims and their families.
