Brazil police carry out raids related to January 8th Brasilia storming

world
Brazil Police Carry Out Raids Related To January 8Th Brasilia Storming
Brazil police carry out raids related to January 8th Brasilia storming. Photo: Getty Images
Share this article

Thomson Reuters

Brazil's federal police on Friday carried out raids against people suspected of involvement in the January 8th storming of government buildings by supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.

A police statement said the operation was aimed at "identifying people who participated in, funded or fostered" the protests. It included 24 warrants covering five states and the capital Brasilia.

Advertisement

On January 8th, thousands of backers of Mr Bolsonaro invaded and ransacked the Congress building, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in the worst attack on state institutions since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s.

Police did not disclose the names of those who were targeted by the operation but said they were being investigated for the crimes of "violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d'état, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and deterioration of specially protected property".

Warrants

The latest warrants were ordered by the Supreme Court, police said.

A second statement said that at the same time, a separate operation was carried out in the northern state of Para against what it called "anti-democratic extremists" also allegedly involved in the demonstrations.

Advertisement

The Para raids targeted six people suspected of coordinating or funding the actions, federal police said, adding that investigations showed they provided material assistance to an attempt to "abolish the rule of law".

Following news of the operations, justice minister Flavio Dino praised federal police investigations into what he called "crimes against our homeland perpetrated by coup-mongers and their allies".

"Democracy has won and will win," said Mr Dino, who serves under leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Mr Lula narrowly defeated Mr Bolsonaro in an October election.

The Brasilia demonstrators were protesting Mr Bolsonaro's loss and calling for a military coup to oust Mr Lula and restore the far-right leader.

Read More

Message submitting... Thank you for waiting.

Want us to email you top stories each lunch time?

Download our Apps
© BreakingNews.ie 2024, developed by Square1 and powered by PublisherPlus.com