Initiative is part of the Resistance Diplomation Project, launched at the end of 2023
Two ancient students from USP (University of São Paulo), killed during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964-1985), were graduated on Monday (11.ago.2025). The initiative is part of the resistance diplomation project.
The ceremony was part of the celebrations of the 198 years of the creation of legal courses in Brazil. It was organized by USP Law School, Academic Center XI of August and the University Human Rights Commission. The event took place in the Student Room of the Largo de São Francisco Law School in São Paulo.
The honored students were Arno Preis and João Leonardo da Silva Rocha. According to USP, Preis was executed in 1972 during the government of Emílio Garrastazu Médici. He was killed with shots and drilling to the knife or bayonet in a joint action of police from the Goiás and Dops Battalion (Department of Political and Social Order). Then he was buried as indigent.
Silva Rocha was killed by agents of the Bahia Military Police in June 1975, already during the government of Ernesto Geisel. At the time, the ALN (National Liberating Action) and Molipo (Popular Liberation Movement), movements in which they participated, had already been extinguished.
Watch a video of the ceremony:
The project was launched at the end of 2023 and aims to grant honorary diplomas to 33 USP students killed during the Brazilian military dictatorship.
They were honored Alexandre Vannucchi Leme and Ronaldo Mouth Queiroz. In August 2024 USP Diploma Posthums to 15 students from FFLCH (Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences).
According to the USP Truth Commission, 39 students, 6 teachers and 2 employees were killed during the period.
The ceremony were former ministers José Carlos Dias (Justice) and Almino Afonso (work and employment); Flávio Bierrenbach (former Minister of the Superior Military Court); Belisario dos Santos Jr. (former Secretary of Justice of São Paulo); former deputy Luiz Eduardo Greenhalgh; and lawyer Taís Gasparian.
