João da Costa Araújo Alves was tried for disobeying orders to delete the opinion of social networks in the 2022 elections
The STM (Superior Military Court) confirmed on Tuesday (25.mar.2025) the condemnation of the major for disobeying direct orders to delete political publications of their social networks. The military was sentenced to more than 2 years in prison.
The military was arrested in May 2022 for disobeying Army recommendations on partisan political demonstrations in the election year. On social networks, Alves, despite being active, declared himself a federal deputy for the PL and published messages in support of the former president (PL).
Major João Alves’s defense told the Poder360 which will appeal the decision of the STM.
The rapporteur of the case, Minister Artur Vidigal de Oliveira, said that “The accused, repeatedly ignoring the orders of his hierarchical superiors, demonstrated complete contempt for the disciplinary rules and internal regulations of the Brazilian Army, which cannot be tolerated in an institution based on hierarchy and discipline.”.
The Major was tried and convicted in 2023 by the Ceará Court of Justice and filed an appeal asking for the sentence in the STM. Alves can still appeal the new decision to refuse the nullity. The court again tried the case this week after Minister José Coêlho Ferreira requested a view in March 2024.
Minister José Coêlho Ferreira was the only one who voted for the acquittal of the military. The others voted to maintain the sentence.
For military personnel who accumulate less than 10 years of service, such as the Major, the electoral dispute is valid if it is formally removed from the activity. Overcoming the 10 years, the officer must be added by the higher authority and, if elected, will automatically pass, at the time of diploma, to inactivity. At the time of the candidacy, he must be away, as .
The rules were passed on to the Military of Battalions of Piauí and Ceará, of the 10th Military Judicial Circumscription of the three forces, in March 2022, on the recommendation of the Military Public Prosecution Service. The goal was to warn about crimes in an election year, and guide the eligibility of members of the Armed Forces.
The STM stressed that the military was aware of the prohibitions and decided not to accept the order.
