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Brazil’s Supreme Court handed down the first sentence related to January capital riots, with convicted trespasser Aecio Pereira getting 17 years in prison for his role in the attack.
The riots followed a presidential election as thousands angered by the defeat of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings — a demonstration that was eerily reminiscent of the 2021 U.S. Capitol riots.
Angry mobs, claiming the election result was rigged, broke into the presidential palace and high court in Brasilia, the country’s capital. Some had been camping outside military buildings calling for the army to intervene. Others smashed windows, threw furniture into fountains and vandalized artwork.
Pereira was convicted for attempting a coup, although he’s maintained that he is innocent of any wrongdoing and participated in a peaceful protest, BBC News reported.
The 51-year-old recorded himself at the Senate president’s desk after breaking in, sporting a T-shirt that read “military Intervention” and calling on Bolsonaro’s supporters to “take to the streets.” He was later arrested inside the Senate building.
“The [rioters’] objective was to violently seize Brasilia and spread a criminal attack against the rule of law across the country,” Justice Cristiano Zanin said during Pereira’s sentencing on Thursday.
Brazil’s Supreme Court plans to hear a total of 232 cases involving alleged crimes related to the Jan. 8 demonstrations, including Bolsonaro in their probe. Prosecutors argue he may have incited the riots by questioning the results of the election.
The ex-president has denied encouraging the riots. Before losing the elections in October, he accused the Supreme Federal Court of political bias and argued that the voting system was susceptible to fraud without any evidence to support his statements.
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Evan Rosen
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