34 buried in various places in the jungle.”83 Nevertheless, following a “broad and thorough intelligence operation, planned in preparation for the third and final counter-attack,” there was a change in strategy among the armed forces. In 1973, the “Executive branch of the Republic, headed by General Medici, directly assumed control of the repressive operations [and] the official order became the extermination of the prisoners.”84 90. Towards the end of 1974, there were no longer any members of the Guerrilla in Araguaia, and there is information that the bodies of the activists were exhumed and incinerated or thrown in the rivers of the region.85 On the other hand, “[t]he military government imposed absolute silence regarding the events which occurred in Araguaia” and it “[p]rohibited the press from releasing news on the matter, and in the meantime [the] Army denied the existence of the movement.”86 3. Law No. 9.140/95 and Special Commission on the Political Deaths and Disappearances of Persons 91. On December 4, 1995, Law No. 9.140/95 was promulgated, wherein the State of Brazil recognized its responsibility for the “murders of the political opposition” in the period between September 2, 1961 and August 15, 1979.87 This Law “automatically recognized 136 cases of disappeared persons contained in a ‘[d]ossier’ organized by next of kin and human rights defenders after […] years of searches.”88 Of them, 60 are alleged disappeared victims in the present case, that together with Maria Lucia Petit da Silva, person deprived of life in the military operations against the Guerrilla, are identified in Annex 1 of the Law.89 92. Moreover, the Law created the Special Commission on Politically Motivated Deaths and Disappearances of Persons, which is responsible, among its other functions, “in carrying out the recognition of the disappeared persons not included in Annex 1 of [said] law.”90 In this way, the requests for recognition of disappeared persons not included in Annex 1 of the law should be filed by the next of kin with the Special Commission and should be presented with information and documents that can prove said allegation of the disappearance of their family member.91 83 Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folio 5762 84 Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folios 5759 and 5761. 85 Cf. Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folio 5762. See also, Tocantins Working Group, Report on the 4th Field Work Expedition (3rd phase), annex R (brief of annexes to the answer to the application, tome I, folio 8104), and Information on the Guerrilha do Araguaia, supra note 81, folios 3445 to 3452. 86 Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folio 5762. 87 Cf. Law No. 9.140/95 of December 4, 1995 (brief of annexes to the answer to the application, tome I, annex 1, folio 5567), and Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folio 5582. 88 Right to Memory and Truth, supra note 67, folios 5582 and 6058 to 6061. The 136 disappeared persons included in Law No. 9.140/95 are identified in its Annex I. 89 Cf. Law No. 9.140/95, Annex I, supra note 87, folios 5 to 15. 90 Law No. 9.140/95, Article 4(I)(a), supra note 87, folio 5567. 91 Cf. Law No. 9.140/95, Article 7, supra note 87, folio 5567.