The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) asked the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on this Monday (14) to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven other defendants from the first nucleus of the coup plot.
The document was sent to Minister Alexandre de Moraes around 11:45 PM and is part of the final allegations, the final phase before the trial of the accused, scheduled for September this year.
In the 517-page document, Attorney General Paulo Gonet argues that Bolsonaro and the other defendants should be convicted of serious crimes such as formation of an armed criminal organization, attempt to violently abolish the Democratic Rule of Law, coup d’état, qualified damage by violence and serious threat, and damage to listed heritage.
The maximum penalties for these crimes exceed 30 years in prison.
In addition to Bolsonaro, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) requested the conviction of the following defendants:
• Walter Braga Netto, Army general, former minister and Bolsonaro’s running mate in the 2022 election.
• General Augusto Heleno, former minister of the Institutional Security Office;
• Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN);
• Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice and former Secretary of Security for the Federal District;
• Almir Garnier, former Navy commander;
• Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Army general and former Minister of Defense;
• Mauro Cid, informant and former aide-de-camp to Bolsonaro.
If convicted, Cid’s sentence should be suspended due to the plea bargain agreement made with the Federal Police (PF) during the investigations.
Bolsonaro
In his document, the Attorney General highlighted the central role of former President Jair Bolsonaro in the coup plot, emphasizing the weight of his actions.
According to him, Bolsonaro is the leader of a criminal organization and was the “main architect and greatest beneficiary” of the actions aimed at attempting to implement a coup d’état in the country in 2022.
In Gonet’s words, the former president instrumentalized the state apparatus and operated a “persistent scheme” to attack public institutions and the succession process after the presidential election results.
“With the support of high government authorities and strategic sectors of the Armed Forces, he systematically mobilized agents, resources, and state powers, disregarding the public interest, to spread false narratives, provoke social instability, and defend authoritarian measures,” stated the prosecutor.
Next Steps
With the submission of the PGR’s document, the 15-day period begins for Mauro Cid’s defense, the informant in the investigations, to present its final allegations to the Supreme Court.
Then, the defenses of the defendants will present their arguments within the same period.
After receiving all submissions, the trial date will be set by the First Panel of the Court.
Behind the scenes at the Federal Supreme Court, the trial is expected for September this year.
Source: Agência Brasil