Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), voted to reject appeals presented by seven people convicted in Criminal Action (AP) 2696 for attempted coup d’état. The minister is the rapporteur of the action.
The appeals are being considered by the First Panel of the STF in a Virtual Plenary. The other three ministers of the collegiate – Carmem Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin and Flávio Dino – have until 11:59 pm on February 24th to express their votes.
The convicts are part of the called Nucleus 3 of the coup plotheld responsible by the First Panel of the STF for planning tactical actions to carry out the coup plan and trying to kidnap and kill Minister Alexandre de Moraes, the Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
At the core, there are soldiers who were part of the Army’s special forces group, identified as “black kids”. The group also spread false news about the elections and put pressure on the high command of the Armed Forces to join the coup.
The defendants in Core 3 were nine military personnel and one federal police officer:
- Bernardo Romão Correa Netto (colonel);
- Estevam Theophilo (general);
- Fabrício Moreira de Bastos (colonel);
- Hélio Ferreira Lima (lieutenant colonel);
- Márcio Nunes de Resende Júnior (colonel);
- Rafael Martins de Oliveira (lieutenant colonel);
- Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo (lieutenant colonel);
- Ronald Ferreira de Araújo Júnior (lieutenant colonel);
- Sérgio Ricardo Cavaliere de Medeiros (lieutenant colonel);
- Wladimir Matos Soares (federal police officer).
Of this group, only General Estevam Theophilo was acquitted of the crimes who was accused.
Confessed defendants
Colonel Márcio Nunes de Resende Júnior and Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Ferreira de Araújo Júnior were convicted of crimes considered lighter, such as inciting the animosity of the Armed Forces and criminal association.
The two soldiers confessed to the crimes and made an agreement with the Public Ministry to replace the sentences with Penal Non-Persecution Agreements (ANPPs) and will remain open.
The others, who are now presenting appeals, must serve their sentences in a closed regime and were convicted of armed criminal organization, coup d’état, violent attack on the Democratic Rule of Law, damage qualified by violence and serious threat and deterioration of listed property. Sentences range from 16 to 24 years.
