Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 7, 2008 / 10:08 am
The Brazilian courts have initiated a new trial of the men accused of killing the American religious sister, Dorothy Stang, who was shot in February of 2005 in the state of Para.
Sister Dorothy was killed while working with the rural poor and peasants who were opposing the destruction of the rain forest and being threatened by loggers and ranchers for doing so.
Ranchers Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura and Rayfran das Neves had been sentenced to 30 and 27 years respectively in a previous trial for the murder of the sister.
According to Brazilian law, any person sentenced to more than 20 years in prison has the right to appeal. The appeals of both men were accepted and a new trail began on May 5.