BRASILIA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) — Two brothers, Domingos Brazão and João “Chiquinho” Brazão, have been sentenced to 76 years and three months in prison by the First Panel of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) for orchestrating the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro City Councilor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes.
The unanimous decision, delivered Wednesday, found the brothers responsible for the qualified homicide of Franco, a prominent advocate for minority rights, and Gomes. Justices Alexandre de Moraes, Cristiano Zanin, Cármen Lúcia, and Flávio Dino determined the crime was motivated by Franco’s political activism, which challenged the interests of powerful militias operating in Rio de Janeiro.
Domingos Brazão, currently a councilor on the State Court of Accounts of Rio de Janeiro, and Chiquinho Brazão, a former federal deputy, were found to have ordered the assassination, according to the court’s ruling. The STF concluded that evidence presented by the Federal Police, including testimonies obtained through plea bargains, corroborated the brothers’ deep involvement with the militias, extending beyond mere association to integral participation in their power structure.
Marielle Franco, representing the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), was fatally shot on the evening of March 14, 2018, while traveling by car in central Rio de Janeiro. Gomes, the driver, as well died in the shooting, while a third occupant of the vehicle survived.
Prosecutors argued that the execution stemmed from Franco’s efforts to impede the interests of the Brazão brothers, specifically concerning the regularization of areas controlled by militias in Rio de Janeiro. These militias, initially formed by former police officers as self-defense groups against drug trafficking, have evolved into criminal organizations involved in extortion, land grabbing, and illegal construction, often with the support of politically connected individuals, according to court documents.
Justice Moraes emphasized the hateful nature of the attack, stating that the political motive was compounded by “misogyny, racism, and discrimination.” He questioned the message sent by the assassination of a Black, impoverished woman challenging the interests of Rio’s militias.
The sentencing follows the earlier convictions of Ronnie Lessa and Élcio de Queiroz, identified as the hitmen in the case. Lessa received a 78-year sentence, later reduced after cooperating with authorities, while Queiroz was initially sentenced to 59 years, also subject to reduction for collaboration.
Despite his arrest in March 2024, Domingos Brazão continued to receive a salary from the State Court of Accounts, totaling over 726,200 reais (approximately $145,000 USD) through February 2026, including allowances for education, and healthcare. He is currently detained in a federal prison in Porto Velho, Rondônia. The STF’s decision does not address his continued employment at the Court of Accounts.
