Brazil's Supreme Court revokes retirement of ex-police chief convicted in coup plot

Brazil's Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the cancellation of the retirement benefits for Silvinei Vasques, the former director-general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF). Vasques was convicted in March for his involvement in a conspiracy aimed at disrupting the election and inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The decision came in response to a request for clarification from the Attorney General's Office (AGU) regarding the implications of Vasques's conviction and subsequent loss of public office. Minister Moraes upheld a previous ruling by the STF's First Panel, which had unanimously rejected Vasques's defense arguments.

Moraes stated that the consequence of losing public office, as decreed in the sentence, applies to Vasques's retired status, effectively revoking his pension. The former director-general's defense had argued that the court's ruling was unclear regarding the loss of office for a "retired federal highway police officer." However, Moraes clarified that this description was merely functional and that the legal effect of the conviction is indeed the revocation of his retirement.

Vasques is currently imprisoned in Brasília and was convicted for crimes including coup d'état, violent abolition of democratic rule, criminal organization, and qualified damage, receiving a sentence of 24 years and 6 months. His actions were reportedly aimed at creating obstacles for voters in the Northeast, a region with strong support for Lula, during the second round of the 2022 elections.