Brazilian judge sentences two ex-policemen to long sentences for…

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A judge on Thursday handed down long sentences to two former police officers for the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro City Councilwoman Marielle Franco, a symbol of Brazil’ the political left whose killing sparked outrage.

Ronnie Lessa and Élcio de Queiroz were sentenced to nearly 79 years and nearly 60 years, respectively, for the March 14, 2018, shooting that killed Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes. Jurors found that Lessa fired the gun and de Queiroz was the helmsman on the night of the murder.

Lessa and de Queiroz, arrested in 2019, previously signed plea agreements, but the jury had the final say on their guilt on the manslaughter and other charges. The verdict, while expected, comes as a measure of comfort to many who saw the martyrdom of the black, bisexual woman as an attack on democracy and worried that the crime would go unpunished.

Prosecutors argued that each man should be sentenced to a maximum of 84 years on the three counts – double murder, attempted murder and driving a cloned vehicle.

When Judge Lucia Glioche finished reading the sentence, applause broke out in the courtroom as the families of the victims began to cry. Marielle’s sister Anielle Franco, Brazil’s minister for racial equality, shared a long, tearful embrace with her parents and Marielle’s daughter, Luyara Franco. Her father rested his head on the chest of former congressman Marcelo Freixo, who was her political mentor.

Brazilian law does not allow life imprisonment and each man will serve no more than 30 years of their sentence. Due to their sealed deals, local media reported that Queiroz and Lessa could serve 12 and 18 years in prison, respectively, including time already served. Prosecutors have denied that their sentence will be reduced.

Either way, Thursday’s sentence is seen as just one step toward justice, with another trial still to come for the men accused of ordering her murder. They will also have to pay 706,000 reais ($122,000) in moral damages to several family members of the victims and provide an allowance to Gomes’ young son until he turns 24, according to a statement on the website the court.

Universally known by her first name, Marielle, she was raised in one of the Rio’s poor communities known as favelas. She became known for her efforts to improve the lives of ordinary residents. After her election in 2016, she fought against violence against women while defending human rights and social programs.

Testimony on Wednesday during the first day of the trial provided details of the moments leading up to and following the shooting. Franco’s assistant and friend who was also in the car, Fernanda Chaves, was among those who gave evidence, as were Franco’s mother and her partner, Mônica Benício.

Choked and often unable to speak, Benício said the last thing Marielle said to him was “I love you.”

“We had plans to get married with a wedding party. When Marielle died, what I felt was that they took away the promise of our future,” she said, later adding that the right to a just city is one of Marielle’s causes.

“Marielle also defended the right to decent housing from the perspective of the favela, the periphery, that was the theme of the city’s rights agenda.”

Both defendants participated in the trial via video conference from jail. Lessa is based in Sao Paulo, while de Queiroz is based in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia.

Federal authorities began seriously investigating the case after leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2023.

With Lessa and de Queiroz convicted, attention will now turn to the men accused of ordering the hit: two brothers with alleged ties to criminal groups known as militias, which illegally charge residents for various services, including protection.

Guilhermo Catramby, a Federal Police detective, told the court on Wednesday that the assassination was “undoubtedly” motivated by Marielle’s land rights work, particularly in the western part of Rio de Janeiro. Her work there was “a thorn in the side of militia interests,” Catramby said.

In March, The Federal Police detained the two brothers, federal parliamentarian Chiquinho Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazãomember of the audit body of the state of Rio. They have denied any involvement in crime or with militias and have yet to be tried.

In his plea negotiations, Lessa told police that the politician brothers hired him and informed him that the then head of the state’s civil police, Rivaldo Barbosa, had signed off beforehand. Barbosa, who also denies any involvement, was arrested in March.

Marielle’s family and Ágatha Arnaus, Gomes’ widow, spoke to journalists after the trial. Holding hands, they said that while the conviction offered some reparation after years of struggle and pain, it was only the first step in a long journey to justice.

“I wanted my mother here, but today will definitely go down in the democratic history of this country,” said Luyara, the councilor’s daughter, holding back tears.

“If the justice system had not convicted these two cruel criminals, we would not have had a moment of peace. But it doesn’t end there,” said Antonio Francisco da Silva, Marielle’s father. “They are the ones who ordered the murder. Now the question is: when will those who ordered this be punished?”

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Sá Pessoa reported from Sao Paulo.