Police officer convicted of suspended sentence for killing unarmed Cape Verdean man in Portugal
A Lisbon court has convicted police officer Bruno Pinto of three and a half years imprisonment, with the sentence suspended, for the homicide of Odair Moniz, a 43-year-old cook of Cape Verdean origin, in 2024.
Police officer convicted of suspended sentence for killing unarmed Cape Verdean man in Portugal
A Lisbon court found police officer Bruno Pinto guilty on Monday of the homicide of Odair Moniz, an unarmed man of Cape Verdean origin, and sentenced him to three and a half years imprisonment, with the sentence suspended. The case, which occurred in October 2024, triggered days of unrest in several Portuguese cities and became a symbol of debates over immigration, police violence and the role of the far-right in the country.
According to the police's initial account, Moniz, a 43-year-old cook, attempted to flee by car upon spotting a police vehicle, suffered an accident during the pursuit and resisted arrest. The authorities initially claimed that the man had drawn a knife, which led the officer to open fire. However, the court, based on security camera footage and other evidence, concluded that Moniz did not possess any blade when he struggled with and assaulted the police officers, and that no blade was found at the scene.
The judges found that Pinto acted in self-defence but used disproportionate force. The officer's defence argued that Moniz had a knife or another sharp object, but the court rejected this claim. Moniz's death sparked peaceful protests organised by human rights defence organisations, whilst the far-right party Chega came out in defence of the police officer. The leader of Chega, André Ventura, said that the officer should be "grateful" and "decorated instead of accused", whilst a party deputy stated on television that "if security forces fired more, there would be greater order in the country".
Organisations such as SOS Racism and the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination have for years been criticising Portuguese police for excessive force, particularly against people of African origin. The former ambassador of Cape Verde to Portugal remembered Moniz as a peaceful, hardworking and law-abiding man. Various public figures, Portuguese politicians and lawyers filed complaints against Ventura and two members of Chega for their public praise of the officer's shooting.
The Chega party, founded in 2019 and often compared to Hungary's Jobbik of the 2010s, is preparing for unprecedented electoral results in a context of economic and housing crisis in Portugal. The case continues to fuel political and social tensions in the country.
Source: 444