Trial over killing of Indigenous forest guardian postponed to 2027

What you need to know

• The latest postponement means the case will have waited years to reach a jury trial. The new expectation is for the first half of 2027, rather than a hearing in 2026. 12
• The explanation given for the delay was a lack of space in the court’s hearing calendar. The federal prosecutor told Mongabay that he saw no apparent justification for the trial not taking place in 2026 and said the prosecution was examining the delay. 1
• The charges concern the killing of Paulo Paulino Guajajara and the attempted killing of Laércio Guajajara in 2019. The accused men have not yet been tried, and the reports do not establish a finding of guilt. 13
• The family and community continue to wait for a judicial response, according to COAPIMA, an Indigenous peoples’ organisation. The organisation says the delay prolongs that wait. 2
• COAPIMA describes the Guardians of the Forest as carrying out territorial monitoring in Arariboia. The reporting places the case in the wider context of the risks faced by Indigenous forest defenders. 12

Why this matters

The postponement concerns both a family’s wait for a judicial response and accountability in a case involving violence against Indigenous forest defenders. The reporting also underscores that territorial monitoring by the Guardians of the Forest continues while the case remains unresolved. 12

What happens next

The jury trial is expected in the first half of 2027, but the reporting does not confirm a hearing date. The prosecutor said the prosecution was examining the delay; whether it will seek priority scheduling is not established. 12

What we know

• In 2022, a federal court sent two accused men to jury trial on allegations including homicide and attempted homicide. That was a procedural decision, not a conviction. 3
• The judge’s advisory staff cited a full hearing calendar as the reason the trial could not take place in 2026. 1
• The federal prosecutor questioned the explanation and said the prosecution was examining the delay. This was his assessment, not a court finding. 1
• COAPIMA says the postponement extends the family and community’s wait for a judicial response. 2

What we don't know

• The reports do not establish whether the trial will be scheduled and held in the first half of 2027. 12
• The available reporting does not resolve whether the court will provide a further explanation for the delay or whether the prosecution will seek priority scheduling. 1
• The reporting does not set out what protections are currently available to Laércio Guajajara and other Indigenous forest defenders in Arariboia. 12

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI