Unanimously, STF maintains arrest of suspects in Marielle’s death

Unanimously, the First Panel of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided this Monday (25) to maintain the arrest of the three suspects of planning the crime and ordering the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes. The murders occurred in 2018.

Ministers Cármen Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino and Luiz Fux followed the vote of minister Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the case at the Supreme Court and who ordered the preventive detention of the three on Sunday (24).

The arrest order was analyzed virtually, in a 24-hour trial session that began in the early hours of this Monday (25).

In the decision, Moraes wrote that there was “strong evidence of materiality and authorship” of the planning of the murder by the three prisoners, in addition to maneuvers to cover up the authorship of the crime and hinder the investigations.

In addition to the rapporteur, the only one to present a written vote was Dino. He wrote that preventive arrests are justified in the face of a “criminal ecosystem” that would have been set up within the Public Power to cover up the authorship of the crime.

The ministers followed the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), according to which if the three “remain free, they will continue to obstruct the work of the Judiciary Police, taking advantage of the economic power they have and their contacts with illicit networks. existing in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro”.

Understand

Brothers Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão and Civil Police Chief Rivaldo Barbosa were arrested on Sunday morning (24) during Operation Murder Inc and were taken by the Federal Police to Brasília, where they arrived at around 4pm.

In the case of Chiquinho Brazão, who is a federal deputy, the Federal Constitution provides that his arrest must be assessed by the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, which may keep him in prison or release him. The date of the session has not yet been announced, but it should take place in the next few days.

The main motivation for the murder of Marielle and Anderson, revealed in the PF investigation report, involves the dispute over the regularization of territories in Rio de Janeiro. At a press conference, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, stated that the police investigations led to complete clarification of who the perpetrators of the crimes were, in addition to the executors and intermediaries.

Marielle and Anderson were shot to death at an intersection in the central region of Rio de Janeiro, in March 2018, while they were traveling by car after a work schedule.

Defense

In an interview upon leaving the PF Superintendence in Rio de Janeiro, Domingos Brazão’s lawyer denied that he had any relationship with Marielle or participated in the councilwoman’s murder. “He is innocent and has nothing to do with this,” said lawyer Ubiratan Guedes.

A Brazil Agency contacted Rivaldo Barbosa’s defense and is awaiting a response. Chiquinho Brazão’s defense has not yet responded to requests for comment.

On March 20, after the accusation of being the mastermind was leaked to the press, deputy Chiquinho Brazão released a note in which he said he was “surprised by the speculation” and stated that his relationship with Marielle had always been “friendly and cordial”.