MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's STF votes again to convict Congresswoman Zambelli

Zambelli is under arrest in Italy pending her extradition

Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided on Friday (22) by 9 votes to 2 to convict Federal Congresswoman Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) to five years and three months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and illegal coercion with the use of a firearm.

 The Court concluded the virtual trial of the criminal case in which the lawmaker is the defendant for the episode in which she drew a firearm and chased journalist Luan Araújo on the eve of the 2022 runoff elections after exchanging provocations during a political rally in São Paulo.

The vote cast by case rapporteur Gilmar Mendes was endorsed by Alexandre De Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, Flávio Dino, Cristiano Zanin, Dias Toffoli, Edson Fachin, Luiz Fux, and Luís Roberto Barroso.

Nunes Marques and André Mendonça did not follow the rapporteur and presented dissenting opinions. Marques voted for acquittal on the charge of illegal possession of a firearm and dismissed the charge of unlawful coercion for arbitrary exercise of one's own reasons. With this understanding, the sentence is time-barred.

Mendonça acquitted the congresswoman of the charge of illegal possession of a firearm and sentenced Zambelli to eight months of open prison for unlawful coercion.

The sentence will not be enforced immediately because an appeal can still be filed. It was Zambelli's second conviction by the STF in the Supreme Court. Last month, she was arrested in Italy, where she tried to dodge an arrest warrant issued by Justice De Moraes, citing her dual citizenship.

Zambelli left Brazil in May after being sentenced by the STF to 10 years in prison for hacking into the electronic system of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) in 2023. The congresswoman will also have to pay collective damages.

The Bolsonarist lawmaker was found to have masterminded the hacking by expert Walter Delgatti to issue a false arrest warrant against De Moraes. Delgatti confessed to this.

The Brazilian Government has requested Zambelli's extradition and is being handled by the Foreign Ministry.

In a press release, lawyer Fábio Pagnozzi stated that Zambelli expresses “surprise and profound disagreement” with the conviction. According to the defense, the ruling will be “firmly contested” for violating basic principles of due process and revealing “an extensive and arbitrary interpretation of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.”

“The congresswoman reaffirms her innocence and that she is a victim of political persecution, just before her extradition request, in a record trial,” said the lawyer. (Source: Agencia Brasil)