Bruno and Dom case: Federal Court of Tabatinga is in favor of transferring Ruben Villar's trial to Manaus

"Colombia" suspected of having Bruno and Dom killed. Rede Amazônica. The Federal Court of Tabatinga was in favor of the request to transfer the trial of Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, "Colombia", from the municipality of Tabatinga to Manaus. He is accused of involvement in the murders of indigenous man Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, in Vale do Javari, in Amazonas. The request was made by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and signed this Tuesday (18). Bruno and Dom disappeared in 2022, when they were on an expedition in the Vale do Javari indigenous land, which encompasses the municipalities of Guajará and Atalaia do Norte. They were last seen on June 5 of that year. Days later, the bodies of the journalist and indigenous man were found. With this decision, the request will be forwarded to the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF1), which is the competent body to analyze and decide whether the trial will leave Tabatinga and be carried out in the capital of Amazonas. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp Among the arguments considered in the decision is the risk to the safety of those participating in the trial, the possibility of influence on the jurors and the characteristics of the region where the crime occurred. Bruno and Dom case: 'Colombia' will be judged by a popular jury The decision highlights that Tabatinga is a municipality located on the triple border between Brazil, Colombia and Peru and has a history of violence and high crime rates. According to federal judge Cristina Lazzari Souza, who signed the document, there is also local tension related to the dispute between indigenous people and fishermen over the exploitation of natural resources in the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land. The judge also cited signs of Ruben Villar's influence in the region. According to witnesses mentioned in the process, he would be known as the "big boss" of the region and would have supplied or financed boats, engines and ammunition for riverside dwellers in exchange for exclusivity in the purchase of fish from the interior of the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land. For the judge, this context can generate fear among residents who may eventually be summoned to serve as jurors. Decision still depends on TRF1 Despite the favorable statement from the Federal Court of Tabatinga, the trial has not yet been officially transferred to Manaus. The decision determines the forwarding of the process to TRF1, which must analyze the request. The judge suggested Manaus as the destination, but left it up to the court to define the unit where the trial should take place. Also according to the process, Ruben Villar's defense had argued that there was no concrete demonstration of a risk to the regularity of the trial in Tabatinga. The lawyers also maintained that the Jury Court has mechanisms to guarantee the impartiality of jurors. Remember the case Indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips were shot to death and had their bodies dismembered and buried. Bruno worked to defend indigenous peoples in the region and Dom reported on the Amazon. The two disappeared while traveling by boat in Vale do Javari, in the Atalaia do Norte region. Investigations showed that the two were killed during the trip. The bodies were located days later. Ruben Dario da Silva Villar is a defendant in the case and is responsible for crimes related to the murders of Bruno and Dom. In addition to Ruben, Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, known as "Pelado" and Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as "Pelado da Dinha", are also accused of involvement in the death of the journalist and indigenist. In February this year, the Court also ordered the transfer of the Amarildo and Jefferson trial location to Manaus. READ ALSO: Trial of those accused of killing Bruno and Dom is transferred to Manaus due to a risk to the impartiality of the jury 'Colombia' was the mastermind behind the murders of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips, says PF Who is 'Colombia', indicted by the PF as being the mastermind behind the deaths of Bruno and Dom English journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira. Photo: TV Globo/Reproduction