The defense of federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) informed this Tuesday (27) to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) that it rejected the agreement offered by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) to end the process in which the parliamentarian was denounced for offenses against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In July, the congressman was reported to the Supreme Court for the crime of slander against the president. The complaint involves the congressman’s speech during a meeting at the United Nations (UN) in 2023, in which Nikolas Ferreira called Lula a “thief” and published the speech on his social media.
The defense claims that Nikolas’ statements are covered by parliamentary immunity. The lawyers cited a legal opinion from the Chamber of Deputies and Article 53 of the Constitution. According to the text, deputies and senators are inviolable, civilly and criminally, for their opinions, words and votes.
“In view of the above, respectfully, [a defesa] rejects the proposal offered by the eminent Attorney General of the Republic and, as appropriate, attaches the opinion prepared by the Legislative House, invoking, in the same way, the constitutional institute of material parliamentary immunity, requesting that the present case be archived preliminarily”, argued the defense.
If the agreement is rejected, the case will continue to be processed by the Supreme Federal Court. The complaint is reported by Justice Luiz Fux. If accepted by the Court, the congressman will become a defendant and will face criminal proceedings. There is no time limit for the trial.
