The Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, asked this Tuesday (14) for the conviction of the seven defendants of the so-called Nucleus 4, identified as responsible for disinformation actions associated with the attempted coup d’état. The group is accused of disseminating false information and attacking authorities with the aim of causing institutional instability and sustaining the permanence of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in power, even after his 2022 electoral defeat.
The complaint presented by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) indicates that the members of Nucleus 4 played a central role in the creation and dissemination of false narratives about the electoral system and democratic institutions. According to Gonet, the group’s actions were decisive in the escalation of tensions that culminated in the acts of January 8, 2023, when the headquarters of the Three Powers were invaded and vandalized in Brasília.
During his demonstration at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Gonet stated that the accused promoted a true “information war” against democracy. “It was the members of this nucleus who dedicated themselves to fabricating and disseminating false narratives, with the aim of instilling in the population the conviction that the democratic structure was turning, sordidly, against the people”, declared the attorney general.
The PGR maintains that part of the group’s actions were conducted from within the government itself, with improper use of the structure of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin). According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly used the so-called “parallel Abin” to spy on political opponents and produce false reports designed to discredit the electoral process and attack authorities who opposed the coup plans.
Among the victims of the disinformation campaigns were the then commanders of the Army and Air Force, who refused to join the plot. According to Gonet, the material produced by the defendants was widely disseminated on social media and used to inflame Bolsonarista militancy after their defeat at the polls. One of the false reports, with supposedly technical information about electronic voting machines, would have been a key piece in supporting the discourse of fraud in the 2022 elections.
The seven defendants are responsible for five crimes: attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, coup d’état, armed criminal organization, qualified damage and deterioration of listed property. The defendants in Core 4 are: Ailton Gonçalves Moraes Barros (Army reserve major), Ângelo Martins Denicoli (Army reserve major), Giancarlo Gomes Rodrigues (Army warrant officer), Guilherme Marques de Almeida (Army lieutenant colonel), Reginaldo Vieira de Abreu (Army colonel), Marcelo Araújo Bormevet (federal police officer) and Carlos Cesar Moretzsohn Rocha (president of Instituto Voto Legal).
In his statement, Gonet highlighted that “the impact of the defendants’ behavior on the violent outcome of January 8, 2023 was clear”. The attorney general stated that the social instability observed that day was directly related to the actions of the accused, who had acted to create an environment conducive to institutional disruption. “The criminal organization created and disseminated false narratives regarding the electoral process, giving rise and impetus to social instability leading to institutional rupture”, he added.
The defendants’ defense, in their closing arguments, argued that the PGR was unable to individualize the conduct of each accused and that the process is based on generic evidence, without concrete evidence of direct involvement in crimes. According to lawyers, the accusations are built on assumptions and lack effective demonstration of intent or active participation in the coup acts.
The trial of Nucleus 4 began this Tuesday morning in the First Panel of the STF, under the report of Minister Alexandre de Moraes. After reading the report and the attorney general’s statement, the lawyers began oral arguments. The support is expected to extend until the end of the week, with new sessions scheduled for the 15th, 21st and 22nd of October. The panel, composed of ministers Moraes, Flávio Dino, Cristiano Zanin, Luiz Fux and Cármen Lúcia, will decide on the acquittal or conviction of the defendants.
The case is part of a series of trials arising from the coup attempt investigated by the PGR and the Supreme Court. The complaint was divided into four sections, according to the functions performed by those involved. In September, former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced as leader of the so-called Núcleo 1, considered the main one, to 27 years and 3 months in prison for attempted coup d’état and four other crimes. Cores 2 and 3 will still be judged until the end of the year.
