Alongside the former president, accused of attempted coup d’état, was Eduardo Torres, brother of former first lady Michelle; brother -in -law organized a vigil with supporters around the condominium in the federal capital
The former president (PL) appeared in front of his residence in Brasilia on the morning of Thursday (11). The day after the vote of the Federal Supreme Court Minister () who acquitted him in the coup plot, Bolsonaro smiled and waved but made no comments. Beside him was Eduardo Torres, brother of the former first lady. On Wednesday night (10), Torres organized a vigil with supporters of the former president on the outskirts of the condominium in the federal capital. In house arrest, the former president had already appeared on the scene on the first day of the trial, on the 2nd. At the time, he said he was following the session in the first class of the court, also without answering other questions.
Bolsonaro’s defense stated that he expressed interest to attend the STF trial, but was advised against health reasons. On Wednesday, 10, in a long vote that lasted 12h, Fux voted to condemn the lieutenant colonel and the general, but spared all other defendants in the “crucial core” of the coup plot, including Bolsonaro.
Even in the case of Cid, a confessed defendant, and Braga Netto, the only defendant arrested, the minister’s proposal was convicted of only one of the five crimes attributed to them in the complaint of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR)-violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law.
According to the minister, there is no evidence that a coup plan was effectively put into practice by the former president. What happened, in his assessment, was but “vacancy” of exception measures. But according to Fux’s line of reasoning, “preparatory acts” cannot be punished criminally, forcing acquittal. “It is unreasonable to equate words to effective acts of violence,” said Fux.
Lawyer Celso Vilardi, who represents the former president, celebrated the minister’s position. “Minister Luiz Fux’s vote was a vote that welcomed the defense thesis, so of course we understand that it is an absolutely technical vote that addressed the evidence in an exhaustive way,” he said on Wednesday night.
The ministers, rapporteur of the criminal action, and voted for the conviction of Bolsonaro and the other seven defendants. They will still vote and, president of the first class. The trial is expected to end this Friday, the 12th.
*With information from Estadão Content
Posted by Fernando Dias
