Brazil congressman prosecuted over statements about killed Rio councilor

On Tuesday (Apr. 3), the Council of Ethics of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, as the country’s lower house is known, opened a case against congressman Alberto Fraga, of the right-wing Democrats Party (DEM) for violation of parliamentary decorum. A motion was filed by Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) requesting that the lawmaker should be stripped of his license.

Fraga is said to have “misused his constitutional prerogatives” by “slandering” former city councilor Marielle Franco, killed in Rio de Janeiro last month.

The city councilor, a member of the PSOL, was known for being active in the fight for human rights and for denouncing police violence.

In the motion, the PSOL claims Fraga tweeted untruthful information about Franco. The representative wrote that Franco had “become pregnant at 16,” was the ex-wife of a former drug dealer, in addition to being a drug user herself and a supporter of criminal organization Comando Vermelho (“Red Command”).

Fraga’s text also says she had been elected thanks to the support given her by the criminal organization, and that she had fired six employees. The politician also made jokes about the suspicion that she was executed by military police agents.

The PSOL argues that Fraga committed a criminal act “blatantly untruthful to the memory of the city councilor,” further referring to it as “immoral” and “liable to political penalty.”

The council member in charge of drafting the report for the case is yet to be appointed by its chair, who is to choose from a list of three lawmakers drawn at random earlier today.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira