By Micah Jonah, February 26, 2026
A panel of justices at Supreme Federal Court has convicted five men accused of plotting the 2018 assassination of Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes.
The unanimous ruling marks a major development in a case that sparked national and international outrage and raised concerns about political violence and corruption in Brazil.
Justice Carmen Lucia told the victims’ families that human justice could not ease their pain as the court handed down lengthy prison sentences.
Franco, 38 at the time of her death, was a member of the Socialism and Liberty Party and was known for advocating for the rights of Black Brazilians, women and LGBTQ communities. She had also criticized police violence in low income neighbourhoods, opposed illegal land seizures.
On March 14, 2018, gunmen opened fire on Franco’s vehicle after an event in Rio de Janeiro. She and her driver were killed, while an aide in the vehicle survived. Prosecutors described the attack as an assassination intended to silence her activism.
Among those convicted are former congressman Chiquinho Brazao and his brother Domingos Brazao, a member of Rio’s state audit court. The court found they orchestrated the killing in response to Franco’s efforts to challenge illegal land appropriation schemes. Both brothers were sentenced to 76 years in prison.
Robson Calixto Fonseca, an aide to the brothers, received a nine year sentence for criminal conspiracy. Former police investigator Rivaldo Barbosa was sentenced to 18 years for passive corruption and obstruction of justice. Police officer Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira was handed a 56 year sentence for murder and attempted murder.
All five men have denied involvement in the crime.
Earlier convictions were secured against former police officers Ronnie Lessa and Elcio Queiroz, identified as the gunmen in the attack. They were sentenced in October 2024 to 78 and 59 years in prison respectively after entering plea agreements that led to further arrests.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes described the killings as part of a militia style operation aimed at protecting financial interests and political influence.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International described the proceedings as a decisive test of Brazil’s commitment to addressing impunity in cases of political violence.
The ruling is seen as a significant milestone in a case that has remained a symbol of the struggle against corruption and violence in Brazilian politics.
