The Justice Committee for Marielle and Anderson met this Thursday (10) with the minister of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Rogerio Schietti, to ask for speed in the judgment of an appeal presented by the defense of retired military police officer Ronnie Lessa.
Lessa’s lawyers question the decision of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice to take the case to the Jury Court. The retired police officer is one of the defendants accused of the death of councilor Marielle Franco and driver Anderson do Carmo, in March 2018.
The grievance was filed in September last year. The TJRJ had already denied the defense’s first request for an appeal not to take the case to the Jury Court.
In a statement, the organizations that make up the Committee (Amnesty International Brazil, Instituto Marielle Franco, Justiça Global, Coalização Negra por Direitos and Terra de Direitos) reiterated the importance of observing the speed in the trial of the defendants.
The crime, still unsolved, turns 4 years old next Monday (14).
Marielle’s mother and father, Anderson do Carmo’s wife and Marielle’s companion, councilor Mônica Benício, were present at the meeting.
The families stressed that four years is too long and that “a justice that is delayed is not justice”. According to the Committee, Justice Rogerio Schietti of the STJ promised commitment and speed in the assessment of the grievance that is still pending.
The Committee reinforced that Marielle Franco was a parliamentarian in full term and a human rights defender and that the lack of response, in this case, has an impact on the lives of other human rights defenders in Brazil.
On Wednesday (09), the Committee visited the Homicide Police Station in the Fluminense capital to demand the progress of the investigations. On the occasion, the director of Amnesty International, Jurema Werneck, also demanded answers from the Rio de Janeiro authorities.
“It is necessary that public authorities send a firm message that impunity will not be the legacy of Marielle’s murder,” declared Jurema Werneck.
Last month, the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro changed for the 5th time the delegate responsible for conducting investigations into the perpetrators of the murders. The case will be handled by delegate Alexandre Herdy.
Within the scope of the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro, there was also a change in 2021. Prosecutor Bruno Gangoni took over the case after the departure of prosecutors Simone Sibilio and Letícia Emile, who had been in the case since 2018.
According to CNN found, they left the task force that investigates the murders alleging fear and dissatisfaction with outside interference.
On March 14, the 4th anniversary of the murders of Marielle and Anderson, a mass will be held at the Candelária Church, in downtown Rio. On the same day, the two will be honored at a free event in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, and Largo da Batata, in São Paulo.
Who killed Marielle Franco?
In March 2019, retired sergeant Ronnie Lessa and former military police officer Élcio Queiroz were arrested, suspected of carrying out the crime. According to the police investigation, Lessa fired the shots and Queiroz was driving the car where the assassins were.
On the day of the arrests, the police found 117 rifles that Lessa was hiding at a friend’s house. In addition to the weapons, over 500 ammunition, three silencers and R$112,000 in cash were seized. Lessa lived in the same condominium where President Jair Bolsonaro maintains a house, in Barra da Tijuca, west of Rio, where the weapons were found.
The other suspect, Élcio Queiroz, was expelled from the corporation in 2016, accused of working illegally as a security guard at gambling houses, in parallel with his work as a police officer.
Both deny participation in the crime and remain imprisoned in Mossoró (RN), where they await trial.
Source: CNN Brasil
