Brazilian police recapture journalist’s killer

Sao Paolo police have recaptured Wilson de Moraes da Silva, who was convicted of the murder of journalist Ivandel Godinho Junior. The reporter was kidnapped in 2003, and killed three days later. Silva had served three years of his 36 year sentence when he was transferred to a prison with restricted release privileges. He failed to return to the prison after his release for Father’s Day in 2008.

Belarusian dissident jailed for four years

Belarusian dissident Vasily Parfenkov has been sentenced to four years of imprisonment following his hearing on Thursday. He was convicted of breaking the window of a parliamentary building during protests against President Lukashenko’s re-election on 19 December. He will also have to pay pay 14m roubles ($4,700) in compensation for damage to state property. Parfenkov is an active supporter of opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyayev.

A solidarity rally in support of Belarus’s political prisoners is being held at the Belarusian Embassy in London on Saturday 19 February.