Brazilian Military Lied During Rousseff’s Custody Investigation: Official

Brazil's National Truth Commission member blames the country's military for refusing to give access to information on President Dilma Rousseff's imprisonment. The current leader of Brazil was arrested, tried and sent to prison in 1970 because of her involvement with guerrilla groups.

MOSCOW, December 12 (Sputnik) — The Brazilian military lied to withhold information that could have assisted in an investigation into the 1970s imprisonment of current president Dilma Rousseff, National Truth Commission member Rosa Cardoso told Sputnik on Friday.

"They [the Brazilian military] refused to give us access to archives, saying that the archives had been long destroyed, although the archives survived," Cardoso said. "What the military consider the execution of their right to remain silent in reality was a lie," she added.

The commission's investigator, who defended Rousseff in court in the 1970s and facilitated her release at that time, also pointed out the military's unwillingness to cooperate.

"During the investigation, the military did not cooperate with us. They did not hinder us in any way, they just did not help," Cardoso said.

She added that the country's military have not acknowledged human rights abuses which took place during the dictatorship in Brazil.

Brazil's National Truth Commission investigates violations of human rights committed during the country's military dictatorship between 1964 and 1985.

The current president of Brazil was arrested, tried and sent to prison in 1970 because of her involvement with guerrilla groups opposing a military dictatorship in Brazil that came to power in the 1964 coup.