{"id":24794,"date":"2026-02-24T18:57:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24794"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:57:12","slug":"brazils-supreme-court-begins-trial-of-politicians-in-murder-of-rio-councilwoman-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24794","title":{"rendered":"Brazil\u2019s supreme court begins trial of politicians in murder of Rio councilwoman | Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Brazil\u2019s supreme court has opened the trial of politicians accused of ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco<\/a>, a case that exposed deep ties between politics and organised crime<\/a> in the city.<\/p>\n

Franco, an activist who grew up in a favela and became an outspoken critic of Rio\u2019s powerful militia groups, was 38 when she was shot dead in the city center alongside her driver, Anderson Gomes.<\/p>\n

The two former military police officers who carried out the murders were given hefty jail terms in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The supreme court is now trying the former federal lawmaker Chiquinho Braz\u00e3o and his brother Domingos, a former state lawmaker, accused of ordering the assassination.<\/p>\n

The prosecution said their motive had been Franco\u2019s opposition to plans that would have \u201clegalised\u201d land illegally seized by militias that control large parts of the city.<\/p>\n

Marielle\u2019s sister, Anielle Franco, Brazil\u2019s minister of racial equality, was present in the packed courtroom as the trial began along with other family members.<\/p>\n

It was \u201cunacceptable that a parliamentarian be murdered\u201d, Anielle said before entering the courtroom, adding that those behind the crime must be punished.<\/p>\n

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Writing in the O Globo newspaper, Franco\u2019s widow, Monica Benicio, said the \u201ccriminal ecosystem that killed Marielle continues to operate and extend its tentacles\u201d.<\/p>\n

Rio\u2019s militias emerged about four decades ago, when former police officers and security agents created self-defence groups to protect communities from drug gangs.<\/p>\n

They quickly evolved into powerful criminal organizations<\/a>, controlling large parts of the city, extorting residents, seizing public land, and benefiting from high-level political support.<\/p>\n

Rivaldo Barbosa, a former police commissioner who first led the investigation, is also being tried for working \u201cto ensure the impunity of those who ordered the killings.\u201d<\/p>\n

A former military police officer and a former adviser to Domingos are on trial as well.<\/p>\n

The Braz\u00e3o brothers deny their involvement and have challenged a plea agreement made with Ronnie Lessa, a former military police officer, who confessed to his role in the murder.<\/p>\n

Lessa, who was sentenced to 78 years in jail in 2024, said during his trial he was \u201cblinded\u201d and \u201cdriven crazy\u201d by the prospect of a million dollar reward for Franco\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n

The supreme court trial is being led by justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a failed coup in 2022.<\/p>\n

Moraes said the prosecution\u2019s case did not rest solely on Lessa\u2019s cooperation and that \u201cvarious pieces of evidence, depositions, and documents\u201d backed up his confession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Brazils #supreme #court #begins #trial #politicians #murder #Rio #councilwoman #Brazil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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