Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court has unanimously convicted two influential politicians for ordering the 2018 assassination of Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco, a Black, lesbian human-rights activist whose killing shocked the nation and drew global condemnation.
The court found João Francisco “Chiquinho” Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazão guilty of orchestrating the attack that also claimed the life of Franco’s driver, Anderson Gomes. Both men were longtime political figures in Rio with ties to powerful militia-linked networks that opposed Franco’s work against corruption, police violence and illegal land-grabbing schemes.
Franco was 38 when she was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in downtown Rio de Janeiro, an assassination that exposed deep ties between political elites, organised crime and armed groups. The Supreme Court held that the brothers ordered the hit largely to silence Franco’s political voice and protect interests linked to criminal enterprises.
The verdict marks a major moment in the long-running case one that had already seen two former police officers convicted in 2024 for carrying out the killing and represents a significant step in holding powerful figures accountable for political violence in Brazil.
Sentencing details were pending at the time of reporting, but the convictions close a crucial chapter in one of the country’s most high-profile human-rights cases, underscoring international calls for justice in attacks against activists and elected officials.
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