The trial of those accused of participating in the murder of the then Rio de Janeiro councilor Marielle Franco was scheduled for February 24th and 25th, 2026, announced this Friday, December 5th, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) of Brazil.
The decision was taken by judge Flávio Dino, who presides over the plenary of judges that make up the First Panel of the STF.
All accused are in pre-trial detention.
In May, the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Brazil requested the conviction of the alleged perpetrators of the murder of Marielle Franco, in 2018, arguing that “there is evidence” that confirms the hypothesis of the accusation against the former federal deputy João ‘Chiquinho’ Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazão, an employee of the Court of Auditors of Rio de Janeiro.
He also supported the conviction of Robson Calixto da Fonseca, former advisor to Domingos Brazão, the former head of the Civil Police of Rio Rivaldo Barbosa and agent Ronald Alves Pereira.
The agency requested prison sentences for the defendants “above the legal minimum” and “in a closed regime”.
“The brothers Brazão and Robson formed a criminal organization dedicated to militia activities, with the purpose of obtaining profit and establishing electoral strongholds”, the statement reads.
The Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office also denounced that the “objective was to illegally explore real estate activities (…) with the use of the informal power of the militias, as well as to set up electoral camps in areas dominated by the faction”.
“Marielle’s political activities threatened the criminal organization’s illicit business and the territorial dominance of militias in Rio de Janeiro, which led to the councilor’s execution,” according to authorities.
According to investigations, the shooting attack against Marielle Franco, in which Anderson Gomes, the driver of the vehicle in which she was traveling, also died, was clearly politically motivated.
Marielle Franco was a member of the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), she was 38 years old, black, lesbian, born in a favela and all her political activity was dedicated to defending human rights and fighting against the criminal groups that control the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.