The lawyer says that () is aware of the former president’s role in the investigation into the coup d’état. He states that this was discussed between them, without it being a problem.
The defender says he is in favor of a rigorous punishment, but not based on what he calls “questionable versions” of a plea bargain.
“I am a democrat and I will defend democracy. This should not be confused with authorizing prosecutions or convictions based on presumptions, based on questionable versions of a whistleblower, without corroborating evidence”, says Vilardi in an interview with Sheetwhen referring to the collaboration agreement signed by the lieutenant colonel with .
The criminalist. As on the 15th, he previously signed manifestos against the previous government and even wrote that Bolsonaro was encouraging a coup.
Vilardi criticizes the resumption of statements he previously made. He says that they did not represent a value judgment on the case, because he was unaware of the case records. It states that the report “sought to confuse political demonstrations with criticism of the government”.
“I spoke out about the news about this investigation and several times, even saying that it was not possible to assess the possibility of filing a complaint against any defendant without knowing the details,” he says.
Vilardi signed manifestos created by legal entities in the context of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and the former president’s attacks on the electoral system in 2022. The two documents were also supported by Juca, the reserve general’s lawyer.
The two, together with Dora Cavalcanti, Pierpaolo Bottini and Roberto Dias da Silva, signed a letter on January 9, 2023 in which they argued that the previous day’s episodes were the result of a “chain of omissions”. “A president of the Republic attacks democracy every day and encourages a coup d’état. And nothing”, wrote the authors.
In November 2024, Vilardi said in an interview with Veja magazine: “I think there is no doubt that there was an attempted coup, including with the participation of people at the Planalto Palace.”
After taking on Bolsonaro’s defense, the criminalist claims to be concerned about the precedents that could be created in the case of the investigation against the former president, among them, the contours of Mauro Cid’s award-winning collaboration and access to the entirety of the files by the defenses.
The lieutenant colonel and the plea agreement he signed with the PF are central to the investigations into the 2022 coup plot. Cid was one of the people closest to Bolsonaro and was declared by the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court) in September 2023.
“There is an alleged interview in which the whistleblower himself questions the voluntariness and reliability of his accusation. This is public, it appeared in a report by Veja magazine. And, more recently, we found that there is a version that he significantly altered in the 47 minutes of the second half”, says Vilardi.
Bolsonaro. The investigation concluded that the former president participated in a plot to prevent the president from taking office ().
Vilardi worked in the defense of targets for major operations. According to him, the difference between , about the coup plot, and others such as Lava Jato, in 2014, or , in which he also worked, is defending someone involved who held the Presidency of the Republic.
“The particularity is to be acting for a person who was president. Obviously, the repercussion is much greater, especially given the political and politicized moment we find ourselves in”, he says.
These large operations had high media coverage and political consequences. Later, they suffered cancellations, Lava Jato in part and Castelo de Areia in full.
Regarding the possibility of something similar happening with the investigation into the coup plot, he states that there is still no accusation — after the indictment by the PF, the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) analyzes the investigation to decide whether or not to denounce the ex- president. “If there are nullities, they will be subject to questioning by the defense and assessment by the court.”
Asked about possible difficulties in acting in a case that targets the STF itself, Vilardi states that it is just another element. “I am convinced that there is no type of participation from President Bolsonaro in relation to these facts”, he states.
The defense asked for Moraes to be removed from reporting on the case, arguing that the judge’s impartiality would be compromised because he was identified as one of the main targets of the plot. .
Vilardi also once again said Moraes’ decision to deny Bolsonaro’s trip to the USA was unfair. According to him, posts on social networks, as mentioned by the minister, could not indicate the refusal of a request of this type.
Allies of the former president assessed that the decision is an indication of the harshness of the minister’s vote at the time of the trial.
“I believe in the Justice of my country. It is impossible to make a projection that this will be the focus of the process, to the extent that there will be a defense, and I believe that it will be appreciated”, he says.
The defense of the right to defense, the creation of jurisprudence and the debate on legal issues are also part of his interests in the case. “That’s why I feel flattered, but also aware of the responsibility of being part of a team that will work on a case whose precedents will influence the Brazilian legal system.”
At other times, Vilardi has both defended the STF, from attacks by Bolsonarists against its members and their decisions, and criticized the court, regarding the duration of the fake news investigation.
