STF decrees the conclusion of the trial of Mauro Cid for participating in a coup plot

Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), declared the conviction of lieutenant colonel Mauro Cid, former aide-de-camp to former president Jair Bolsonaro, to be final and unappealable, for involvement in the attempted coup d’état.

The decision, taken after the deadline for submitting appeals, makes the two-year open prison sentence imposed on the soldier definitive. Cid was the only one among the eight defendants in the central core of the coup plot who chose not to appeal his conviction.

The defense argues that the soldier has already served his sentence in full during the period in which he was preventively detained and under precautionary measures, such as the use of an electronic ankle bracelet and retention of his passport.

With the final judgment, the case is officially closed, and Moraes will be able to analyze the request for extinction of punishment presented by the defense. Lawyer Cezar Bitencourt maintains that, given the sentence and the plea bargain agreement signed by Cid, there is no longer any justification for maintaining the restrictions imposed.

Mauro Cid’s conviction was the mildest among the “crucial core” defendants, the result of the plea bargain that contributed to the progress of the investigations. Even so, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) opposed the judicial pardon, claiming that the employee omitted relevant information and violated terms of the agreement.

The First Panel of the STF will still evaluate the motions for clarification filed by the other defendants, between the 7th and 14th of November. If they are rejected, their convictions could also become final in the coming weeks.