Jan. 8 rioters may exchange jail time with compensation
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday (Aug. 22) authorized the Prosecutor-general’s Office to propose non-criminal prosecution agreements for approximately a thousand people investigated over the riots of January 8, when the headquarters of the three branches of powers were stormed in Brasília.
The move had been requested by the Prosecutor-general’s Office to the Supreme Court and was supported by the Brazilian Bar Association, OAB.
Now, the Prosecutor-general’s Office will decide in which cases the agreement can be granted, to be later on ratified by the justice.
Since such a pact is now possible, Justice Moraes ordered the 120-day suspension of the criminal proceedings targeting possible beneficiaries of the deal. Their counsels will also be authorized to attempt to reach an agreement with the Prosecutor-general’s Office.
Under the non-criminal prosecution agreement, those accused of crimes committed without violence or serious threat, and with a minimum sentence of four years, can make a confession in exchange for measures other than imprisonment—such as repairing the damage caused, handing over property stemming from the crime, paying a fine, and doing community service.
The proceedings suspended are part of the probes into the masterminds behind the riots and the individuals who instigated them.
