Brazil's Supreme Court has convicted two politician brothers, Domingos Inácio Brazão and João Francisco Inácio Brazão, for ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councillor and activist Marielle Franco. Both brothers were sentenced to over 76 years each.
Marielle Franco, a gay black woman and emerging socialist figure, was killed along with her driver, Anderson Gomes. Justices determined the Brazão brothers targeted Franco because she opposed their interests, particularly her work against militia-controlled housing developments in poorer neighborhoods.
The conviction highlights deep connections between politicians and organized crime. "The brothers didn't just have contact with the militia. They were the militia," stated Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
In 2024, two former police officers were jailed for the murders, with the shooter Ronnie Lessa confessing and naming the Brazão brothers as masterminds. Franco's sister, Anielle Franco, now Brazil's minister for racial equality, hailed the verdict as a historic step against political violence and impunity.