Moraes made more than 6,000 decisions on January 8

The office of the minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Alexandre de Moraes released on Sunday (7 January 2024) a report on the actions taken by the Court since the invasion of the headquarters of the Three Powers, on January 8 last year. Moraes is the rapporteur for actions at the Supreme Court related to extremist acts.

According to the document (complete – PDF – 1 MB), more than 6,000 decisions were made about the 8th of January throughout 2023. On that date last year, 243 people were arrested in the act in Praça dos Três Poderes or in the invaded buildings. From January 8th to 9th, another 1,929 people who were camped in front of barracks were taken to the National Police Academy, with 775 being released on the same day.

Initially, 1,397 people were detained and underwent custody hearings. After these hearings, Moraes analyzed the cases and granted provisional release through precautions (such as the use of electronic ankle bracelets and home confinement) to 459 prisoners.

1,345 complaints were received presented by the PGR (Attorney General's Office), which accused those directly involved in the acts of:

• criminal association vandalism, attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law;
• attempted coup d'état;
• qualified damage to the Union’s assets;
• deterioration of listed heritage.

Those in front of the barracks were accused of incitement to crime and criminal association. By December 2023, 38 agreements had been approved with those accused of less serious crimes. In these agreements, the defendants admitted to the crimes and committed to paying fines and taking a course on democracy, for example.

Read the main data from the report:

• 6,204 decisions made regarding the 8th of January in 2023, with 255 search and seizure decisions at 400 addresses and 350 breaches of banking and telematic secrecy resulting in 800 investigations (evidence collection);
• 1,397 custody hearings carried out, with analysis of the arrests and criminal examinations, with 459 people granted provisional release and 938 whose arrest was converted into preventive detention;
• 81 arrests in police operations throughout the year;
• 1,345 complaints received by the STF panel;
• 232 criminal prosecution hearings held;
• 719 hearings to collect testimony from prosecution witnesses and 386 for defense witnesses;
• 30 defendants convicted of crimes considered by the STF to be more serious;
• 29 trials started in December 2023 and concluded in February 2024 and more than 146 criminal cases scheduled for trial by April 2024;
• Around 1,000 criminal actions suspended – for less serious crimes, of those accused of inciting a coup in front of the barracks – for analysis of the Non-Prosecution Agreement, with 38 agreements, in which the defendant acknowledged the crime, were approved.

Read more: