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Riots in Brasília on January 8: Jair Bolsonaro was voted out of office
Photo: Eraldo Peres / AP
Radical supporters of Brazil's right-wing ex-president Jair Bolsonaro attacked the government district in the capital Brasília at the beginning of the year. Now a first defendant in a criminal case has been sentenced to a long prison sentence.
A 51-year-old man must be imprisoned for 17 years, the Supreme Court ruled. He was accused of attempted coup d'état and the formation of an armed criminal organization for his involvement in the January 8 attack. In the first phase of the trial, verdicts are to be handed down against four defendants.
Angry supporters of Bolsonaro had stormed the government district a few days after the inauguration of his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on New Year's Day. For a short time, they brought Congress, the seat of government, and the Supreme Court under their control. They rioted in offices and boardrooms, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. It took hours for the security forces to bring the situation back under control.
»Day of Shame«
"It was a Sunday of desolation, the day of shame, as I shall always call it. A Sunday of destruction of the heritage of the Brazilian people, a devastation caused by a mob that invaded these historic buildings in total disregard of the public interest," said Judge Rosa Weber at the sentencing.
Bolsonaro had not explicitly recognized the election victory of his left-wing successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Before and after the election, he had repeatedly spoken of electoral fraud. The Supreme Court is now investigating Bolsonaro on suspicion of inciting the riots, which he denies. In addition, the 68-year-old is under investigation for crimes such as corruption and abuse of office. In June, Bolsonaro was banned from all political office for eight years by the Supreme Electoral Court because of his unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud.
PTZ/dpa