Brazil’s Supreme Court imposes steep sentences for Marielle Franco murder

In February 2026, Brazil's Supreme Court convicted five men for plotting the 2018 assassination of Marielle Franco, a human rights activist and Rio de Janeiro city councilor, and her driver, Anderson Gomes. The unanimous decision concluded a trial that highlighted issues of political violence, corruption, and racial inequality in Brazil. Franco, a Black woman from the favelas, was known for advocating for LGBTQ rights, racial minorities, and women, and for denouncing police violence and corruption. The assassination occurred on March 14, 2018, when assailants fired 13 bullets into Franco's vehicle after she attended an evening debate. Prosecutors argued the attack was designed to silence Franco's activism against powerful interests. The court handed down decades-long sentences to the defendants.

Two brothers, Domingos Inácio Brazão and João Francisco Inácio Brazão, have been convicted by Brazil's Supreme Court of ordering the murder of prominent Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco in 2018. Franco, a gay black woman, was 38 years old when she was shot dead alongside her driver Anderson Gomes. The brothers targeted Franco because she was considered a threat to their interests, specifically due to her work opposing housing developments that were a source of income for militia groups. The Supreme Court found that the Brazão brothers had close ties with the militia and were responsible for the drive-by shooting. They have been sentenced to over 76 years each in prison. Franco's sister Anielle Franco has praised the judicial system for delivering justice, saying it will help Brazil confront political violence based on gender and race.