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Brazil prisoners decapitated in Cascavel jail riot | Brazil prisoners decapitated in Cascavel jail riot |
(about 14 hours later) | |
Police in Brazil say rioters in a jail in the southern city of Cascavel have killed four fellow inmates and injured several others. | Police in Brazil say rioters in a jail in the southern city of Cascavel have killed four fellow inmates and injured several others. |
Two of the victims were decapitated while two more died after they were pushed off the roof of the building. | |
The authorities restarted negotiations with the rioters on Monday morning in the hope of ending the stand-off. | |
At least 700 prisoners are reported to be involved in the uprising, which began on Sunday morning. | At least 700 prisoners are reported to be involved in the uprising, which began on Sunday morning. |
The prisoners are said to be unhappy about how the prison is run, as well as about food and hygiene there. | The prisoners are said to be unhappy about how the prison is run, as well as about food and hygiene there. |
Local media showed prisoners beating men held with ropes around their necks on the roof of one of the buildings. | Local media showed prisoners beating men held with ropes around their necks on the roof of one of the buildings. |
'Psychological torture' | 'Psychological torture' |
The trouble broke out when warders delivering coffee to inmates were reportedly overpowered. | |
As many as 1,000 prisoners then took over parts of the jail, ransacking and setting fire to much of it. | As many as 1,000 prisoners then took over parts of the jail, ransacking and setting fire to much of it. |
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says that rival prison gangs are most likely taking advantage of the riot to settle scores. | |
The leaders of the rebellion are holding at least two prison guards hostage. It is not clear whether the hostages have been harmed. | |
Guards have not yet been able to retrieve the bodies of the four people killed in the unrest. | |
"They are using the severed head of one of the prisoners to inflict psychological torture on one of the hostages," said Jairo Ferreira, lawyer for the prison agents' union. | "They are using the severed head of one of the prisoners to inflict psychological torture on one of the hostages," said Jairo Ferreira, lawyer for the prison agents' union. |
"There are scenes of terror inside the jail now," he told local newspaper Gazeta do Povo. | "There are scenes of terror inside the jail now," he told local newspaper Gazeta do Povo. |
Negotiations restarted first thing on Monday to put an end to the uprising, which has led to the destruction of most of the penitentiary, according to O Globo newspaper. | |
The Security Secretary of Parana State, Maria Tereza Uille Gomes, has travelled to Cascavel to take over the negotiations. | |
Brazil has the world's fourth largest prison population, with half a million inmates in facilities meant to hold 300,000. | Brazil has the world's fourth largest prison population, with half a million inmates in facilities meant to hold 300,000. |
Our correspondent says that, across the country, many poorly resourced jails are in effect run by powerful crime gangs. | Our correspondent says that, across the country, many poorly resourced jails are in effect run by powerful crime gangs. |
Earlier this year the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for an investigation into the high number of violent deaths in Brazil's prisons after previous riots at a jail in the north of the country left dozens of people dead. | Earlier this year the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for an investigation into the high number of violent deaths in Brazil's prisons after previous riots at a jail in the north of the country left dozens of people dead. |