The Supreme Federal Court (STF) of Brazil began on Tuesday (March 25) the trial regarding the possibility of former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven others accused of attempted coup d’état facing criminal charges.
The STF will decide whether to accept the indictment presented in February by the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, against the so-called “Crucial Core” or “Core 1,” composed of eight of the 34 individuals indicted in the case. The members of the core are:
• Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil
• Walter Braga Netto, Army general, former minister, and Bolsonaro’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2022 elections
• General Augusto Heleno, former minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet
• Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin)
• Anderson Torres, former minister of Justice and former Secretary of Security of the Federal District
• Almir Garnier, former commander of the Navy
• Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Army general and former minister of Defense
• Mauro Cid, whistleblower and former aide to Bolsonaro
The STF scheduled a session for Wednesday morning (26) to conclude the analysis of the case, following the procedures established in the STF’s regulations.
Criminal Organization
The Attorney General’s indictment claims that Bolsonaro “led” a criminal organization to carry out acts against the democratic order. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the group, composed of military personnel and other individuals within the state’s structure, operated between July 2021 and January 2023.
“The criminal organization took all necessary measures to overthrow the legitimately elected government,” states the indictment.
The accusation mentions that Bolsonaro was aware of a plan called “Green Yellow Dagger,” which outlined the strategies and execution of actions aimed at assassinating President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
The Attorney’s Office also claims that the former president was aware of a draft decree intended to carry out a coup d’état in the country. The document became known during the investigation as the “coup draft.”
Defense Denies Bolsonaro Knew of Coup Plan
Lawyer Celso Vilardi, defender of former president Jair Bolsonaro, stated on Tuesday (25) that his client had no knowledge or connection to any coup plan. Vilardi protested for not having access to all the evidence on which the Attorney General based his accusations.
The lawyer began his argument by stating that Bolsonaro is “the most investigated former president in the history of this country.” Even so, he added, the accusations presented by Attorney General Paulo Gonet do not provide any evidence of Bolsonaro’s connection to the coup plan or to the attacks of January 8, 2023, when the government headquarters was invaded and destroyed by Bolsonaro’s supporters.
“The [former] president,” he said, “has nothing to do with the [plan] Green Yellow Dagger,” referring to the scheme that, according to the Federal Police, aimed at seizing power and assassinating the then-elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other authorities — such as STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes — after the 2022 elections.
He also mentioned that Bolsonaro authorized the start of the government transition, as well as an early change in the command of the Armed Forces, in December 2022, after losing the elections that year. “One cannot say that this is compatible with an attempt at a coup,” the lawyer argued.
“I feel for the gravity of all the events that occurred on January 8, but one cannot attribute any responsibility to the former president, or label him as the leader of a criminal organization, if he did not support what happened on January 8,” declared Vilardi. He referred to the messages posted that day, in which Bolsonaro condemned the attacks.
In Vilardi’s view, the accusations are “conjectures” that do not present any specific action by Bolsonaro aimed at carrying out a coup.
Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro himself watched Vilardi’s argument directly from the courtroom of the First Panel. The former president left the location on Tuesday morning stating that he would not speak until the trial was concluded.
Source: Agência Brasil