Minister followed the opinion of the PGR, which defended the continued arrest of military personnel; are being investigated for an alleged coup plot
The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Alexandre de Moraes maintained the preventive detention of generals Braga Netto and Mario Fernandes – the latter from reserve. The PGR (Attorney General’s Office) had taken a stance against the release of the soldiers. The decision regarding Braga Netto is from Tuesday (24.Dec.2024) and that of Fernandes, this Thursday (26.Dec).
The soldiers were arrested in the Federal Police investigation investigating the plan for a coup d’état to prevent the elected government from taking office in the 2022 elections. The investigations indicate that the plot involved killing (PT) and (PSB), then president and vice president. -elected president, and Moraes himself.
Braga Netto, vice-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in 2022, has been detained since December 14 after being the target of the PF’s Operation Countercoup. He is accused of trying to obstruct the investigations. On Friday (Dec 20), the PGR stated that the actions to impede the investigations justify the continuation of his preventive detention. Here is it (PDF – 521 kB).
After the PGR’s demonstration against Braga Netto’s release, the general’s defense sent a document to the STF contesting the body’s opinion. He argued that the demonstration is based on “mere presumption” that he is obstructing the investigations and that the PF used “illogical assumptions and disconnected from reality” to request preventive detention.
Retired general Mário Fernandes, according to the investigation, had played a leadership role within a group of high-ranking military personnel who acted to support and incite other criminal groups. The PGR argued that the soldier’s arrest was duly justified and that there were no new facts that justify changing the precautionary measure. Here is the document (PDF — 1 MB).
At the end of November, the PF killed 37 people for attempted coups. Among them were former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), Braga Netto and Fernandes.
