STF has majority to condemn core “disinformation”

The minister of the (Supreme Federal Court) Cármen Lúcia voted this Tuesday (Oct 21, 2025) to condemn the 7 defendants from group 4 of the attempted coup d’état in 2022. As a result, the 1st Panel of the Court has a majority to declare the origin of the . The “disinformation” group was denounced by the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) for involvement in a plan to keep the former president (PL) in power.

Cármen Lúcia voted to condemn all members of the group, made up of active and reserve Army soldiers, as well as a federal police officer. They are accused of spreading false news about the electoral process and promoting virtual attacks on institutions and authorities.

In her vote, Cármen Lúcia, now president of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), opposed the arguments of minister Luiz Fux by stating that the prosecutor’s action “it was not based on conjectures or assumptions, but on documentary evidence produced by the members”.

The minister said that the group’s actions had a clear objective of “discredit” the 2022 elections, won by the president (PT), in collusion with a coup plan led by Bolsonaro.

According to her, the production of disinformation had served to “prepare the ground” with fake news to “the flower of dictatorship blooms — and, as in nature, the poison can be in the flower as much as the perfume”.

“The nucleus of disinformation fertilized the ground for what would become the coup, with lies and violence, planting distrust and disbelief in democratic institutions.”

The defendants are:

• Ailton Moraes Barrosformer Army major;
• Angelo DenicoliArmy reserve major;
• Giancarlo RodriguesArmy warrant officer;
• Guilherme AlmeidaArmy lieutenant colonel;
• Reginaldo AbreuArmy colonel;
• Marcelo BormevetFederal Police agent;
• Carlos Cesar Moretzsohn Rochapresident of IVL (Instituto Voto Legal).

The 1st group has a majority to convict 6 defendants for the crimes of attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, attempted coup d’état, armed criminal organization, qualified damage and deterioration of listed property. In the case of Carlos Cesar Moretzsohn Rocha, the majority followed the rapporteur’s vote to convict the president of the IVL only for the crimes of armed criminal organization and attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law,

There still remains the vote of the president of the 1st class, Flávio Dino, and then the discussion of the dosimetry of the sentences.

PGR

And PGR . The Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, considered that the group acted in coordination to use the structure of Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) to concentrate the production and dissemination of false information to promote distrust in institutions.

Core 4 is the 2nd to be judged. The core 1 trial ended on September 11 and resulted in the conviction of all 8 defendants, including Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison.

The oral arguments were held on October 14th in the 1st Panel of the Court. Read what the lawyers at the heart of “disinformation” said:

• Ailton Moraes Barros (former Army major) – asked for acquittal due to lack of evidence. He claimed that he did not receive orders from Braga Netto, had no public position in Bolsonaro’s government and had no influence in the Army. The lawyers stated that their publications on the networks had the character of marketing political, without coup intent;
• Ângelo Denicoli (Army reserve major) – maintained that facts outside the complaint were included and that the evidence presented by the PGR does not prove the effective participation of the soldier in the criminal organization. According to the defense, the charges are generic;
• Carlos Cesar Rocha (president of Instituto Voto Legal) – claimed that he acted only technically, hired by the PL, without disclosing misinformation. He said that he never claimed there was fraud and that he publicly declared that the system was auditable and without irregularities;
• Giancarlo Gomes Rodrigues (Army warrant officer) – stated that he did not use weapons or encourage violence and had no connection with the group, except professionally. He said he didn’t know Alexandre Ramagem, he didn’t create fake news and that he only followed technical orders at Abin;
• Guilherme Almeida (Army lieutenant colonel) – argued that he did not produce content, was not part of a criminal organization or encouraged third parties. He said that he only shared public links in private groups and that he did not participate in the events of January 8;
• Marcelo Bormevet (federal police officer) – asked for acquittal due to lack of relevance in the facts. He maintained that his research at Abin was of a technical nature, that he did not create or disseminate fake news and that he had no commanding power or involvement in an institutional rupture plan;
• Reginaldo Abreu (Army colonel) – defense alleged lack of evidence and disproportionate accusations. He said that messages exchanged were just personal opinions, that he did not participate in the “Crisis Office”, nor did he interfere in reports from the Armed Forces.