Killings by police ramp up in Rio ahead of Olympics
Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have killed at least 11 people so far in April, according to Amnesty International, adding to the stark toll police killings have taken on residents there in months leading up to this Summer's Olympics in the city.
Police in Rio killed more than 300 people there in 2015, accounting for around 20% of the total number of killings there.
SEE ALSO:Olympics ticket sales fall off a cliff in wake of Zika virus"Killings by the police have been steadily increasing over the past few years in Rio," Atila Roque, Executive Director of Amnesty International Brazil, said in a statement posted online. "Many have been severely injured by rubber bullets, stun grenades and even firearms used by police forces during protests."
Civil police walk north of Rio de Janeiro.Credit: Agencia Estado via AP ImagesThe uptick in police violence began when Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014.
Police killings shot up to 540 that year as compared with 2013, a 40% increase. In 2015, the total number of police killings in the country jumped to 645.
Police-related deaths in Rio this year are up 10%.
Many of the victims are young black men who come from poor parts of urban areas.
So far, there has been little interest among Brazilian officials to prosecute police involved in fatal incidents, though a law passed in February has made it easier to prosecute civilians for protesting.
Dubbed an "anti-terrorism" law, the legislation links protesting to criminal activity, and some fear this has given police license to assault those exercising freedom of speech.
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