Palestinian killed in Manaus was not the target in fight; see what the police says

By Ana Pastana – From Cenarium

MANAUS (AM) – “This victim is a hero; he saved his friend.” That was how the head of the Specialized Police Station for Homicides and Kidnappings (DEHS), Ricardo Cunha, described, during a press conference on the morning of Thursday, the 13th, the action that took the life of the Palestinian-Brazilian identified as Mohammad Ali Ismail Hamdan Manasrah, 20 years old. According to the police, the young man was not the intended target of the bottle neck strikes delivered by Bruno da Silva Gomes, 23.

The crime occurred last Saturday, the 8th, outside a nightclub in the Nossa Senhora das Graças neighborhood, Central-South Zone of Manaus. Bruno was presented by the Amazonas Civil Police (PC-AM), also on the morning of this Thursday, as the perpetrator of the fatal blow that killed the victim.

The Police Report (BO) filed after the crime initially identified Robson Silva Nava Junior as the main suspect. On Sunday, the 9th, the Amazonas Court of Justice (TJAM) ordered his temporary arrest. Robson is now considered a fugitive by the police.

Detective Cunha, who led the investigation, confirmed the version that pointed to a dispute between the perpetrator and the victim that allegedly started inside the nightclub. What stands out is that the disagreement did not occur directly with Mohammad but rather with his brother, whose name has not been disclosed.

“That day, they had gone to celebrate at the club, during which Mohammad’s brother accidentally bumped into Bruno. Bruno, soaked by the ice from the beer he was carrying in a bucket, then handed the bucket to his girlfriend, and a conflict ensued,” the detective explained.

Security guards removed Bruno from the nightclub. After that, Robson began making threats toward the group accompanying the Palestinian-Brazilian, according to the investigation. “Robson stayed near the victim’s group, waiting for them to leave so he could alert Bruno, who was already outside the club, armed with a bottle neck, waiting for the person he intended to harm or kill,” Cunha said.

According to the detective, Robson’s involvement, now sought by PC-AM, was crucial for Bruno to commit the crime. “The group leaves the club, and [Bruno] deliberately positions himself in front of the nightclub. Robson stops the group, forming a circle of people, and at that moment, Bruno, holding the broken bottle, attempts to attack the person standing in front of him – it is unclear who Bruno’s true target was. Mohammad noticed the act and stepped in front of his friend. In doing so, he became a hero, saving his own friend. However, he suffered a fatal blow to the neck that was not immediately noticed but was realized moments later,” the police authority clarified.

For the police, the case is solved, with no doubt that the blows were delivered by Bruno da Silva and that Robson Silva’s participation was crucial for the crime’s conclusion. “This is a case we consider solved, although Robson remains at large. Robson played a lesser role but was still instrumental in carrying out the crime,” he concluded.

Arab Palestinian Society of Amazonas

The Arab Palestinian Society of Amazonas, through a statement, affirmed its trust in the justice system to punish those responsible for Mohammad’s death. “We emphasize our confidence in the justice system and the competent authorities for a thorough investigation and the punishment of those responsible for this cowardly act. The violence that took Mohammad’s life cannot go unpunished,” reads part of the statement.

According to the organization, the transportation of the young Palestinian’s body “is in progress, and all bureaucratic matters have been resolved with the competent authorities.” Mohammad’s family is accompanying the transfer, which is heading to the State of São Paulo and ultimately to Jordan, in the Middle East.

Revisiting the Case

Mohammad Ali Ismail Hamdan Manasrah, 20, was a Computer Science student at the University of Jordan. The young Palestinian was on vacation with his family in Manaus when he was murdered after being attacked in the neck with blows from a broken glass bottle in the early hours of Saturday, the 8th, outside a nightclub in the Nossa Senhora das Graças neighborhood, Central-South Zone. The victim had a flight scheduled to return to his home country on Wednesday, the 12th.

A video circulating on social media shows the moment the victim, wearing a white shirt, falls bleeding onto an unidentified man. Besides the man supporting Mohammad, four others are seen around, seemingly disoriented by the situation, while a woman in a white dress and another man in black clothing walk toward the victim. In the background, another man in a white shirt is seen running. The footage was recorded by witnesses at the scene of the crime.

Mohammad was taken to the 28 de Agosto Hospital and Emergency Unit, where he received medical attention but did not survive his injuries and died at the scene.

According to the Legal Medical Institute (IML), the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock, vascular injury, neck trauma, and a perforating-cutting action trauma.

Clarification In a statement, the nightclub reinforced that the conflict began inside the establishment but the attack occurred outside. Rox Club Lounge stated that it is cooperating with the investigation.

“Contrary to what has been reported by some media outlets, the incident did not occur inside our establishment. The altercation that led to the young man’s death happened after the involved parties had left our premises and became engaged in a dispute on the street,” the statement read.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves