STF has majority to maintain arrest of suspects planning Marielle’s murder – Brazil

The First Panel of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) formed a majority, with four votes in favor, to maintain the arrest of the three suspects of planning the crime and ordering the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes, in 2018.

Ministers Cármen Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin and Flávio Dino followed the vote of the case’s rapporteur, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the preventive detention of the three on Sunday (24). All that’s missing is Luiz Fux’s vote for the decision to be confirmed.

The arrest order is being analyzed virtually, with votes cast without in-person deliberation. The judging session lasts 24 hours and began in the early hours of this Monday (25), with an expected end date of 11:59 pm.

In addition to the rapporteur, the only one to have presented a written vote so far was minister Flávio Dino. He justified that preventive arrests are necessary in the face of a “criminal ecosystem” set up within the Public Power to cover up the authorship of the crime.

The suspects, 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.

Chiquinho Brazão, federal deputy, from the União Brasil party, will have his arrest assessed by the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, as provided for in the Federal Constitution. The date of the session has not yet been announced, but it should take place in the next few days.

The motivation for the murder of Marielle and Anderson involves the dispute over the regularization of territories in Rio de Janeiro, as revealed in the Federal Police investigation report. The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, stated at a press conference that police investigations have completely elucidated who the masterminds, executors and intermediaries of the crimes are.

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