The soldiers indicted and detained preventively for their alleged participation in the coup attempt have received visits from close family members and lawyers since they were transferred to Brasília.
The three are part of the Army’s elite special group, known as “black kids”, and are held in custody at the Army Police Battalion (BPE), in the federal capital.
The general and lieutenant colonel arrived at the unit on December 5th. The lieutenant colonel was transferred on the 8th.
According to a document from the Planalto Military Command (CMP), Mario Fernandes received his lawyers 11 times, between December 6th and 19th.
The general was also visited by his wife, two children, two brothers and his mother, several times during the period.
Between December 10th and 19th, Hélio Ferreira Lima saw his lawyers five times. His three children and his wife also came to see him in prison.
According to information from the CMP, Lieutenant Colonel Rodrigo Bezerra Azevedo only received his lawyer on a single occasion: on December 10, between 9 am and 11:47 am.
The soldier’s wife, daughter, father, mother and sister took turns visiting between December 7th and 17th.
Routine in military prison
According to the Administrative Standards for Special Prison for military personnel, prisoners have the right to sunbathe, preferably between 10am and 12pm, inside the barracks.
Four meals a day are also guaranteed: breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.
The rule provides for visits to be on specific days (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). The days, however, may change at the discretion of the battalion command “in exceptional cases”.
Intimate visits are not permitted on site. Visitors also cannot enter with “inappropriate clothing”, such as transparent items, “short (skirts above the knees, shorts/shorts above the knees, tops, crop tops, mini blouses, etc.)”.
Blouses with straps or a low neckline are also prohibited, as well as sandals, shoes or sneakers with platform soles.
Who are
Retired general Mario Fernandes would have been responsible for preparing the , clandestine action that aimed to assassinate minister Alexandre de Moraes, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB).
According to a Federal Police report, he acted as the link between the leaders of the coup protesters, installed mainly at the Army Headquarters in Brasília, and the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), coordinating the planning and execution of anti-democratic acts, as per the interest of those involved.
Lieutenant colonels Rodrigo Bezerra Azevedo and Hélio Ferreira Lima would have participated in the clandestine action on December 15, 2022, which aimed to arrest and kill the authorities.
The PF indicted 40 people in the investigation into the case, for the crimes of coup d’état, attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and criminal organization in the PF investigation.
Among those indicted are former president Jair Bolsonaro and former minister Braga Netto.
