The Argentine Court issued arrest warrants against 61 Brazilian fugitives convicted or investigated for the acts of January 8, 2023. As of this Friday (15), at least two Brazilians were detained.
A month ago, Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes requested the group’s extradition. He responded to a request from the Federal Police and notified the Ministry of Justice, which forwarded the request to the neighboring country.
The order was signed by judge Daniel Rafecas, head of the 3rd Federal Court, who will conduct hearings with the prisoners and decide on extradition, according to the newspaper. Folha de S. Paulo. After Rafecas’ decision, fugitives will still be able to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice.
Brazil and Argentina are part of the Extradition Agreement between the States Parties to Mercosur. The text was promulgated in 2006 by President Lula (PT).
Fugitive was arrested in La Plata
Police in the province of Buenos Aires arrested one of the targets of the arrest warrant, this Thursday (14), in the city of La Plata, about 50 kilometers south of the Argentine capital. The fugitive was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the invasion and depredation of the headquarters of the Três Poderes, in Brasília.
According to sources from the Ministry of Security of the province of Buenos Aires, the capture occurred when police officers spotted a man on the street in a “suspicious attitude”. The man was identified and the arrest warrant was located in the police system.
The arrest was notified to a Federal Criminal and Correctional Court of Argentina, which endorsed the actions of the Buenos Aires Police. The second arrest took place this Friday (15).
Argentina tightened rules for refugees
Javier Milei’s government changed the law to grant refugee status days after Moraes’ extradition request. Now, the benefit will not be granted to foreigners reported or convicted in their countries. The decision could affect at least 37 people being investigated for the acts of January 8 who are in Argentina.
“Refugee status will not be recognized for foreigners who find themselves in any of the following situations: […] Related to Serious Crimes committed before the Refugee Application: when, before being admitted as refugees in the Argentine Republic, they were accused and/or convicted outside the country of a serious crime”, says an excerpt from the decree.
Operation Lesa Patria
On June 6 of this year, the PF attempted to execute 208 preventive arrest warrants against suspects of participation in the acts of January 8, 2023, but only 49 people were found. The measure was carried out in one of the phases of Operation Lesa Pátria.
At the time, the corporation stated that “more than two hundred defendants deliberately failed to comply with judicial precautionary measures or even fled to other countries, with the aim of avoiding the application of criminal law”.
For the PF, some of these people had crossed the border from Brazil to Argentina on foot or by car, in an attempt to ask for refuge from the government of Javier Milei, an ally of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
Two weeks after the operation, Argentina sent the Brazilian government a list of around 60 names of January 8 fugitives who registered upon entering the country. (With EFE Agency)
