Lack of evidence, privileged forum: what the defenses of the accused of coup said

The first class of the Federal Supreme Court began, on Tuesday (25), the trial that may make former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and his allies defendants for attempted coup.

At the opening of the session, the rapporteur of the case, Alexandre de Moraes, read the report of the complaint and then the Attorney General, Paulo Gonet, presented his arguments. The defendants of the accused also manifested, questioning the accusations made by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).

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Mauro Cid’s defense, Lieutenant Colonel whistleblower in the case, renounced his defense time, just stating that the military has fulfilled his duty and expects his acquittal.

Cid is considered a key piece in the investigation, having signed an award-winning denunciation that helped the Federal Police gather crucial details about the involvement of other members of the coup plot.

Check out what the other accused’s defenses said at the first Supreme session on Tuesday morning.

Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro’s defense claimed that the former president was “the most investigated in the country’s history” and that, after months and investigation and Mauro Cid’s denunciation, “nothing was found.”

According to lawyer Celso Vilardi, the accusatory piece uses the word “possible” 80 times, without presenting concrete evidence of Bolsonaro’s involvement in events.

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Alexandre Ramagem

Alexandre Ramagem’s lawyer, former director of Abin, was the first to speak out among the defenses. He said that although Ramagem was appointed as a crucial member of the criminal organization, Mauro Cid’s denunciation did not highlight his participation in the alleged coup plot.

Ramagem left the federal government in March 2022 to run for elections, being elected federal deputy. According to the defense, it makes no sense to accuse branch of involvement in the coup, as he was no longer part of the government at the time when the criminal organization allegedly strengthened.

Admiral Garnier

The defense of Admiral Garnier dos Santos, former navy chief in the Bolsonaro government, questioned the reason for his inclusion as consistent in the scammer draft, as, according to the accusation, the other commanders of the Armed Forces would also be involved in the plot. The lawyer argued that while Admiral Garnier would have endured the draft, the other two commanders, Baptist Junior and Freire Gomes, only stated that the document was being studied, without committing to the intervention.

Anderson Torres

The defense of Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice, stressed that there is no evidence that he used the PRF to harm the 2022 elections. The defense also said that Torres was on vacation during the events of January 8, 2023 and that there was no omission by him in the invasions in Brasilia. According to the defense, Torres’ tickets were bought before any demonstration in the Federal District.

Augusto Heleno

The defense of General Augusto Heleno, former Minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI), argued that there is not enough evidence of his participation in the coup. The defense claimed that Heleno’s presence in a meeting cannot be considered as a consent to the coup plot. They also questioned the consistency of the evidence presented by PGR.

Paulo Nogueira

Paulo Nogueira’s lawyer, former defense minister, questioned the lack of solid evidence to justify the complaint against his client. He stated that there is no evidence that Nogueira tried to intervene in the results of the elections and that, according to whistleblower Mauro Cid, Nogueira did nothing against the electoral process.

Braga Netto

Finally, the defense of Walter Braga Netto, former Bolsonaro Civil House minister and runner-up, called for the nullity of Mauro Cid’s denunciation, claiming that he was coerced by the authorities, especially by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, to incriminate his allies. The defense asked the complaint against Braga Netto to be rejected, highlighting the lack of consistent evidence.

The trial continues, and if the Supreme Court decides to accept the complaint, the accused will become defendants and the judicial proceedings will continue, including statements and steps to clarify the facts and gather more evidence. The final judgment is expected to be issued in 2025 to prevent the case from interfering in the 2026 elections.