Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missao Jesus

Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missão Jesus is a Pentecostal church committed to socially deprived's people's causes and defense of human rights. It is headquartered in São Paulo city, Brazil. The church’s motto is "God's in his Heaven, All's right with the world". These words are from a poem by Robert Browning

eizures and threats

Quoting Amnesty Report 2006:

In September, military police raided the offices of Antonio Fernandez Saenz, a lawyer working with the socially deprived inhabitants of São Bernardo do Campo, south of São Paulo. The officers allegedly did not present a search warrant and took several documents containing statements by local residents accusing civil and military police of torture, extortion and sexually assaulting children. When Antonio Fernandez Saenz tried to report the incident to the civil police, he was threatened and intimidated. According to reports, he continued to receive anonymous death threats.

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR190222005?open&of=ENG-BRA"

"Quoting US State Department on "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005" about Brazil;

"A number of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Federal officials usually were cooperative and responsive to their views. Although federal and state officials in many cases sought the aid and cooperation of NGOs in addressing human rights problems, human rights monitors occasionally were threatened and harassed for their efforts to identify and take action against human rights abusers, particularly members of the state police forces. On September 21, AI reported death threats against Antonio Fernandez Saenz, a lawyer who provided legal assistance to socially deprived inhabitants of Sao Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo State. According to AI, military police threatened Saenz and his family and also broke into his office and stole documents which allegedly incriminated civil and military police in human rights violations."

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61718.htm"

"Quoting United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 27/March/2006;

"On 10 October 2005 the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the SpecialRapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expressionand the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights,regarding Antonio Fernandez Saenz,, lawyer, Manuel Fernando Fernandez Saenz, evangelicalminister, José Fernandez Saenz, evangelical minister, and Dirce Ramiro de Andrade, journalistworking for the evangelical church. Antonio Fernandez Saenz is a lawyer who provides legalassistance to socially deprived inhabitants of the Jardim Lavínia, Silvinha and Montanhãoneighbourhoods in São Bernardo do Campo, a town south of São Paulo. In addition he providesvoluntary legal support to the human rights chapter of the Pentecostal and Apostolic Church ofthe Mission of Jesus in São Paulo, which is run by his two brothers Manuel Fernando FernandezSaenz and José Fernando Saenz, who, like him, have dual Spanish and Brazilian citizenship.Journalist Dirce de Andrade works at the same church as the two brothers. According to theinformation received, on 3 September 2005, after midnight, it was reported that several militarypolice officers forced their way into Antonio Fernandez Saenz’s office in São Bernardo doCampo. The officers reportedly presented no search warrant and took several documentscontaining statements by local residents accusing the civil and military police of torture,
extortion and sexually assaulting children. After reporting the robbery to the military police,officers from the 2nd Company of the 6th Battalion in the State of São Paulo allegedly tried todissuade Antonio Fernandez Saenz from filing a complaint, and threatened and intimidated himand his wife. Journalist Dirce de Andrade was also threatened with detention and prohibitedfrom taking any photographs at the scene. Subsequently, Dirce de Andrade, Antonio FernandezSaenz, Manuel Fernando Fernandez and José Fernandez Saenz went to the 2nd police station ofSão Bernardo do Campo to file a complaint there. They were reportedly charged with“disobedience” and “disrespect of authority” before being released. Following the reportedintervention of a local police officer, Antonio Fernandez Saenz filed a complaint regarding theunlawful entry to, and theft of documents from, his office. Dirce de Andrade, AntonioFernandez Saenz, Manuel Fernando Fernandez and José Fernandez had reported continuingharassment and anonymous telephone calls threatening them and urging them to drop thecomplaint. Concern was expressed for the safety of Antonio Fernandez Saenz and his wife,Manuel Fernando Fernandez Saenz, José Fernandez Saenz and Dirce Ramiro de Andrade. Itwas feared that the search of Antonio Fernandez Saenz’s office and the subsequent threatsconstitute an attempt to silence these individuals and prevent them from documenting andreporting on alleged human rights violations committed by the civil and military police."

http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/docs/62chr/E.CN.4.2006.52.Add.1.pdf"

After this facts in September 2005, files and staff allocated to human rights were reallocated to a new place, in order to avoid death threats and a new theft of documents.

Church also supports Soldados de Cristo - Christ´s Soldiers, a group of missionaries working on "hot spots" on Africa, Asia and Brazil.