The first criminal actions related to the coup attacks on January 8 in Brasilia can now be judged by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). With the release of the case reviewer, Minister Nunes Marques, all procedures have been completed, and now the dates for the judgments of six people only depend on the President of the Supreme Court, Minister Rosa Weber.
The progress of the processes depends on the technical and formal analysis carried out by Nunes Marques and his team. In practice, this procedure serves to verify that all legal and technical precepts have been complied with. The processes are conducted by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur of the case.
In total, the Supreme Court admitted, in recent months, the opening of cases against 1,395 people, who became defendants. The next step is to carry out the judgments themselves. As Rosa Weber has not yet commented on the subject, there are no scheduled dates.
The first defendants to be tried are people who were at Praça dos Três Poderes on January 8 and effectively participated in the attacks. They are accused of the crimes of attempted coup d’état; armed criminal association; damage qualified by violence and serious threat, with the use of a flammable substance, against the assets of the Union and with considerable damage to the victim; and deterioration of listed heritage. In total, 250 people were denounced for this same set of crimes. They face sentences of up to 30 years in prison.
Possibility of agreements
Last week, it was defined that people who were involved in the attacks but committed crimes of lesser offensive power (basically those who were arrested in the camps next to the barracks, but who were not present at the riot on January 8) will be able to try not criminal prosecution. In total, 1,114 people fall into this situation and will be able to seek agreements.
In this case, the defendants must assume the blame for the crime and accept the prescribed punishments, such as repairing the damage caused, paying a fine or providing community service, for example, with the guarantee that they will not be arrested. Each agreement must be signed individually.
Editing: Thalita Pires