MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

STF Justice Dino too votes against Bolsonarist Congresswoman Zambelli

Seven more judges are to vote before Friday, with Zambelli already trailing 0-4

Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Flávio Dino Sunday added a nail to Congresswoman Carla Zambelli's legal coffin by voting in favor of sentencing her to five years and three months in addition to losing her seat in Parliament for the illegal possession of a firearm and illegal restraint with the use of a firearm, Agência Brasil reported.

Dino's decision followed that of case rapporteur Gilmar Mendes, with whom Justices Alexandre De Moraes and Cármen Lúcia concurred, bringing the total number of votes against the Bolsonarist lawmaker to 4, with none in her favor.

The staunch supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a federal Liberal Party Congresswoman for the State of Sao Paulo was charged in August 2023, after pulling out a firearm and chasing journalist Luan Araújo through the streets of São Paulo, on the eve of the electoral runoff.

“It is an insurmountable contradiction for a political representative to seriously threaten a represented person, as if he were above the citizen to the point of subjecting him with a firearm, at the objective risk of losing his life,” said Dino in his rationale.

Seven other justices must vote in the virtual plenary by March 28. If convicted, Zambelli would have to serve five years and three months in a semi-open prison regime.

Last Friday, her lawyer Daniel Bialski said in a note to Agência Brasil newsroom that her defense had been curtailed, as she was prevented from giving oral arguments in the trial, which is being carried out telematically. ”This right of the lawyer cannot be replaced by a video (...) which the judges are not certain to see,” he argued.

The STF also recommends stripping Zambelli from her right to bear arms, in addition to sending the piece used in the case under trial to the Army.

Zambelli maintains her innocence and criticizes the virtual trial process. The case has been deemed highly reprehensible due to her status as a parliamentarian, with sentencing expected to conclude next Friday and open to appeal.