84. That same day, the Second Army published an official note to the effect that “at around 16:00 hours, they went to the room where they had left [Vladimir Herzog] unguarded and found him dead. He had hanged himself with a strip of cloth.”91 85. Furthermore, according to the official note, proceedings conducted at the Second Army’s facilities “uncovered the structure and activities of the Committee of the State Communist Party;” 92 Vladimir Herzog was identified by “his comrades” as “an activist in and member of a basic cell of journalists belonging to that Party.”93 He was therefore “invited to make statements to clarify the matter” 94; he arrived in the company of a “fellow journalist at 8:00 a.m. on the 25th of this month.”95 The official note indicates that although initially “reluctant” [“relutado”] to admit “[h]is ties and criminal activities,” 96 Vladimir Herzog acknowledged his participation in the PCB after a “face-to-face [acareação] with journalists Rodolfo Osvaldo Konder and George Benigno Jathay Duque Estrada, “[w]ho advised him to tell the whole truth, since that is what they had done.”97 The note also states that he was permitted to write “his statements in his own hand”98 and that the paper was later found “in pieces” alongside his body. 99 86. Finally, the note states that “the Secretariat of Security was asked to perform the necessary tests, and the experts confirmed how the suicide had occurred.” 100 In effect, a forensics report was prepared on October 25 by Officer Motoho Chiota, in which he concluded that “the scenario in which the corpse was discovered was typical of a suicide by hanging.” 101 It was also prepared an autopsy certificate signed by the forensic doctors of the Institute of Legal Medicine of the state of São Paulo, Arildo Viana and Harry Shibata.102 An infamous and controversial photograph showing Vladimir Herzog “hanging by a strip of cloth from the window of the cell in which he was being held, with his legs bent,” was also attached to the forensics report, as proof of the suicide.103 87. On October 27, 1975, the newspaper Folha de São Paulo published the communique that the Second Army released in connection with Herzog’s death. The headline read “Second Army announces saíssemos novamente. (...) esperei algumas horas até que (...) o mesmo interrogador, muito nervoso, nos ditou uma declaração, em que dizíamos ter convencido Vladimir Herzog a prestar espontaneamente seu depoimento”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2 Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 2, fls. 278 – Declarações a termo de Rodolfo Osvaldo Konder, del 7 de noviembre de 1975. 91 Texto original: ”Cerca das 16:00hs, ao ser procurado na sala onde for a deixado desacompanhado, foi encontrado morto, enforcado, tendo para tanto utilizado uma tira de pano”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 493, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 92 Texto original: “[a] estrutura e as atividades do ‘Comite Estadual do Partido Comunista’”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 93 Texto original: ”[m]ilitante e integrante de uma cédula de base de jornalistas do citado ‘Partido’”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 94Texto original: “[c]onvidado a prestar esclarecimentos”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 95 Texto original: “[c]olega de profissão, as 08:00hs do dia 25 do mês fluente”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 96 Texto original: “[s]uas ligações e atividades/criminosas”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 97 Texto original: “[q]ue o aconselharam a dizer toda a verdade, pois, assim já o haviam procedido”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 98 Texto original: “[s]uas declarações de próprio punho”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 492, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 99 Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 493, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 100 Texto original: “Foi solicitada a Secretaria de Segurança a necessária pericia/técnica, positivando os Srs. Peritos a ocorrência de suicídio”. Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2, Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 3, fls. 493, Nota Oficial do Comando do II Exército. 101 Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2 Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 1, fls. 126, Pericia del local donde fue encontrado el cadáver; Relatório da Comissão Nacional da Verdade. Volume III. Parte III, “Mortos e desaparecidos políticos”, fls. 1795, del 10 de diciembre de 2014. 102 Proceso No. 2008.61.81.013434-2 Justiça Federal - São Paulo, Volume 4, fls. 827/829, Atestado de examén forense y examén necroscópico, del 25 de octubre de 1975; Relatório da Comissão Nacional da Verdade. Volume III. Parte III, “Mortos e desaparecidos políticos”, fls. 1795, del 10 de diciembre de 2014. 103 Relatório da Comissão Nacional da Verdade. Volume III. Parte III, “Mortos e desaparecidos políticos”, fls. 1795, del 10 de diciembre de 2014. 18