Nunes disagrees with Moraes and votes to sentence the coup defendant to 2 years and 6 months

Coup acts

Minister appointed by Bolsonaro differs from Moraes, who voted for a 17-year sentence

Brasilia DF) – The reviewer at the STF (Supreme Federal Court) of the criminal actions against the January 8th coup, minister Kassio Nunes Marques, voted this Wednesday (13) to sentence the first defendant tried in the case to a sentence of 2 years and 6 months, in an open regime, minus the months he has already been imprisoned.

This, adds Kassio, if the majority of the Supreme Court understands that it is the court’s responsibility to judge the case. For him, the process should be taken to the first instance.

Kassio, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), usually votes differently from the majority of ministers when analyzing the receipt of complaints presented by the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) on January 8th.

Before him, the rapporteur, Alexandre de Moraes, had voted to sentence him to a sentence of 17 years, 15 years and 6 months in a closed regime, in addition to 100 fine days, each worth one third of the minimum wage — in current values, more than R$40 thousand.

The first of the 8/1 defendants tried by the STF is Aécio Lúcio Costa Pereira, a former employee of Sabesp (São Paulo’s sanitation company) arrested red-handed inside Congress by the Senate Police.

“Although the accused has denied committing crimes, the photos and videos posted by him via his cell phone, through audio and text, valued together inseparably with the testimonial evidence, demonstrate the context of the criminality in competition of people”, said Kassio.

“He joined the protesters who entered the Congress building through violence, contributing to the damage and deterioration of the National Congress’s listed heritage,” added the minister.

The minister voted to acquit the crimes of attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état and criminal association.

Pereira, who is 51 years old and a resident of Diadema (SP), recorded a video sitting at the Senate’s board of directors wearing a t-shirt that said “federal military intervention”

In a video recorded by himself, the former employee says: “Friends of Sabesp: whoever didn’t believe it, we’re here. Who didn’t believe it, I’m here for you too, dammit! Look where I am: at the president’s table.”

He is accused by the PGR of crimes such as armed criminal association, violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état, in addition to qualified damage through violence and serious threat, with the use of flammable substances, against the Union’s assets and with considerable damage to the victim.

During interrogation after being arrested, Pereira said that he was in Brasília at the invitation of some friends who were camping in front of the Army barracks in São Paulo, close to Ibirapuera Park, belonging to the Patriotas group.

He stated that his objective was to “fight for freedom” and he could not say whether the procedure to achieve this would be to depose President Lula. He denied that he damaged congressional property.

In addition to him, the STF intends to judge three other defendants in the attacks on the headquarters of the three Powers in sessions this Wednesday and Thursday (14), which begin in the morning and will last until the end of the afternoon. Each of the four actions will be judged individually.

*With information from Folha

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