Journalist arrested by the STF 11 months ago, without a complaint, is suspected of having cancer

A journalist from Rondônia has been imprisoned since February 3, 2023, without charges, after covering the events of January 8 live on his social networks. At 59 years old, William Ferreira da Silva He is a reserve military police officer, married and father of four children – including a three-year-old child. In addition, his last exams showed suspicion of cancer, requiring a new biopsy and treatment. He has been hospitalized since Friday (19) due to the seriousness of his health condition.

“The last MRI he performed indicated level 5 of alteration, which is the highest on a scale of 1 to 5”, says lawyer Hélio Junior, citing that the man should have left prison months ago because his police investigation had not been concluded. and no formalized complaint from the Federal Public Ministry (MPF). However, “Minister Alexandre de Moraes denied provisional freedom four times”, says the lawyer.

The most recent decision is from January 9, when the minister claimed that there is “no argument capable of denying the grounds mentioned”, despite the seriousness of his current health condition. “In fact, his brother died from the same disease on October 29th, and the journalist could also die”, warns the lawyer.

The president ofThe Human Rights Commission of the OAB of Rondônia, Luiz Carlos Teodoro, visited the man at the Military Police Correction Complex (CCPM), in Porto Velho, and stated that the journalist’s arrest violates the Federal Constitution.

In an interview with a local media outlet, Teodoro explained that the Criminal Procedure Code (CPP) presents requirements and deadlines for maintaining preventive detention, which was not followed in the case in question. “It is a violation of human rights,” he warned.

Therefore, he informed that the commission will report the fact to entities such as the National Committee for the Prevention and Combat of Torture (CNPCT), OAB Nacional and the International Court of Human Rights. The entity must also notify Congress, the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), and the STF Human Rights Commission. In a note sent to Gazeta do Povo this Wednesday (17), OAB-RO informed that the report is being completed.

Meanwhile, the process is being processed in secret at the STF, but the report had access to Moraes’ decision regarding preventive detention. According to the document, William posted videos on January 8 on his profile on the social network Facebook, “in which he appears in the acts carried out in Praça dos Três Poderes”.

The decision informs that images published on another person’s profile would also show Willian “inside the STF plenary, at the time of the depredation”. All the videos mentioned were taken down by order of the Supreme Court, and not even the defendant’s defense has these images.

What did William do in Brasília?

According to his wife Naiane Karen Portugal, 31 years old, Willian did not camp at the Army Headquarters in Brasília or participate in the demonstrations, as the family was traveling in the city to visit relatives. “And as William is a retired military police officer, we took our little daughter Maitê to play in the pool at the Army Club, which is close to Praça dos Três Poderes”, says the woman, reporting that she began to see helicopters and hear bombs during the tour.

“William looked at what was happening on his cell phone and, as he is an independent journalist with more than 100 thousand followers on social media, wanted to get the scoop, and went to work”, says the woman, who took her husband to Praça dos Três Poderes in the clothes he was wearing at the club: shorts, tank top and flip-flops. “He didn’t leave home ready to speak out, but he saw news that needed to be shown.”

Naiane reports that she followed the live broadcast carried out by her husband, at the same time as she spoke to William via cell phone messages. “In fact, I have a conversation in which I tell him that there were some people trying to clash with the PM, and he tells me that he tried to keep these protesters away and calm everyone down, because he is a military police officer too.”

However, Alexandre de Moraes’ decision cites that “William’s incitement for the protesters to insist on the acts and react to the Military Police’s attacks is clear” due to the following lines that would be said in the video: “You have to pick it up and throw it away. come back to this ** there. Come on, come on, come on, let’s go. One day his bombs will end. One hour ends. Let’s go up. This is confrontation, see, guys?” He also reportedly said “the situation is tense. The population is out of control, you see, people.”

Naiane states that her husband did not say these words as they appear in the document, in sequence, but that they were excerpts quoted in different contexts throughout the video. “Come on, come on, let’s go up, for example, we were supposed to go to the highest part because the tear gas was concentrated below, so we had to go up and breathe better”, he explains, stating that many people, including the elderly, were feeling ill and vomiting due to gas.

Furthermore, Naiane points out that her husband entered the buildings after the vandalism in an attempt to show what the place was like. “Then he saw that there were still a lot of people there, he didn’t take anything and left quickly.”

However, less than a month later, his family was surprised by the visit of federal police at home, at 7 am, when the couple’s daughter was still sleeping. “The police chief told William to go to the police of his own free will to take a statement, but when he got there, he informed him that he would be taken to prison,” he says. “Our daughter didn’t have the opportunity to say goodbye to her father, and she cries every day.”

“The statements cited are not consistent with imprisonment”, explains expert

According to lawyer Carolina Siebra, a specialist in cases involving politics, the statements that support the decision to arrest the journalist, if confirmed, are related to the invasion of public buildings, which is a crime with less offensive potential. “In fact, there wouldn’t even be any arrest, just as happened with the protesters who invaded the ministries in 2017.”

At the time, 35 thousand people led by the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) protested in Brasília against the reforms proposed to Congress by Michel Temer’s government. They confronted the PM, promoted a general breakdown and set fire to the Ministries of Agriculture, Culture and Finance.

“And what happened in court? Some people were taken to the police station, signed a detailed statement and were released”, informs Siebra, mentioning that the process should occur in the same way with those involved in the acts of January 8th.

“And, even if the person intended a ‘coup d’état’, as has been pointed out in some cases, it would be the ‘impossible crime’ mentioned in Article 17 of the CPP. Same thing as trying to kill a person with a water pistol”, he compares, stating that there is no reason to keep the journalist in prison.

The family has blocked financial resources

Furthermore, the opinion of the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the case states that part of the salary that William receives as a reserve soldier should be deposited monthly to “preservation of the human dignity of the person represented and his family”. However, the wife reports that she has been 11 months receives no value. “Everything is blocked by the government”, she laments.

For lawyer Hélio Junior, the situation is an “unprecedented legal atrocity”, as the man “was working on January 8, covering the event, and had his entire retirement blocked, leaving his family unable to support themselves. ”.

Journalist’s role in the state of Rondônia

William is a journalist accredited by the National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) and produced independent reports in the state of Rondônia, where he was known as “Man of the Time”. “He published articles on his channel and carried out work for various media outlets”, says his wife Naiane, citing that her husband mainly prepared social articles and reports about community problems, such as potholes and flooding.

The Union of Professional Journalists of Rondônia (Sinjor) even published a note of solidarity in 2023 regarding the case, informing that “William is a dedicated, competent professional, who has worked for more than 20 years in the press of Rondônia, with experience in various media outlets”.

Also according to the note, the journalist would have a “significant audience on social media” and “moral and ethical conduct, always acting with zeal and efficiency in his journalistic coverage” with “great emphasis on social journalism”.

Gazeta do Povo contacted the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and also the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) and is awaiting feedback. Journalist Willian remains detained at the Military Police Correction Complex (CCPM) and has been hospitalized since Friday (19) due to the seriousness of his health condition. “He has already lost 16 kilos and is very weak”, lamented his wife, asking for help.