Congress upholds arrest of legislator suspected in Marielle's murder
Brazil's House of Representatives has endorsed a recommendation for the ongoing detention of Federal Representative Chiquinho Brazão from Rio de Janeiro. During a plenary session on Wednesday (Apr. 10), 277 legislators supported the motion, with 129 opposing it, and 28 abstaining. The decision, requiring 257 votes for the detention to be upheld, reflects the absolute majority within the House.
The congressman is accused of being one of the masterminds in the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL) and her driver, Anderson Gomes, on March 14, 2018, in Rio de Janeiro. Brazão was arrested for obstruction of justice on March 24, following an order issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The decision was unanimously upheld by the First Panel of the Supreme Court, which also ordered the arrest of Domingos Brazão, an advisor to the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Auditors, and Rivaldo Barbosa, a Rio de Janeiro Civil Police chief. All three individuals are currently under investigation for their alleged involvement in the murder of Franco and Gomes.
Per Brazil's Federal Constitution, upon the arrest of a federal representative, it is mandatory to inform the respective Legislative House, enabling it to deliberate on whether to uphold or revoke the order. Presently, the congressman is detained at the federal prison in Campo Grande, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
A recommendation to uphold the congressman's pre-trial detention had previously been endorsed by the House of Representatives' Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Committee, a prerequisite for its consideration in the plenary session.
Earlier in the day, the House Ethics Council initiated proceedings that might result in the revocation of Chiquinho Brazão's mandate.
