Today, December 13, 2023,
the verdict was announced in the public trial of Caio and Fábio, who were
on trial accused of murder with eventual intent
during the protest where the cameraman
from Bandeirantes television network, Santiago Andrade,
died in February 2014.
Fábio was acquitted of the charges,
and Caio was sentenced to 12 years in prison for bodily injury resulting in death,
but he will face the trial while being free.
This is a victory initially
because they won't remain in custody.
But I emphasize the need to keep fighting
for the annulment of the trial.
First, the result of the public trial
that acquitted Fábio and lowered the charges against
Caio, which was eventual intent,
assuming the risk of killing someone for bodily injury resulting in death,
that's why he got 12 years and will respond while being free.
So, this result alone
already shows the absurdity of this initial accusation,
this attempt by the prosecution to impute something similar to
dominion of the fact, where they accuse both with a mortar
or something similar, claiming that they assumed the risk of killing someone.
Secondly, it shows the absurdity of this initial accusation.
But also, why?
Because it was used at the time,
a partially successful attempt to create legal terror
for those participating in the protests.
People often talk about June 2013 only in 2013, but this happened
in February 2014, meaning the protests continued.
At that moment, the main target was all the effects of mega events, especially the World Cup and the Olympics.
At that time, the main target was all the effects of mega events, especially the World Cup and the Olympics.
In the year 2014, the World Cup took place.
And randomly picking two people around a tragic and unfortunate case,
which is the death of a cameraman from the Bandeirantes network,
who didn't send his employee with PPE, who didn't take
any responsibility for the death of his employee,
no legal responsibility,
must have had some agreement there with the family,
but randomly took this case to produce
a kind of perfect innocent.
And to send a message to those going to the streets,
that if you go to the protest,
you could be randomly accused of murder if something like this happens.
This, not to mention that well, even though Fábio was acquitted,
this has had terrible effects on his life.
Even if Caio responds while being free,
if the conviction comes, 12 years is no joke,
and the very effect of the conviction will also have very negative effects on his life,
and beyond that, it's necessary
to explicitly state the political nature of these imprisonments,
although every imprisonment is political, how this was used at that moment
by that political situation to stop the protests,
to produce a media and legal effect of terror,
when people were going to the streets, afraid of being arrested.
At that time, it didn't work immediately, the protests continued, but then came another,
which was the persecution of the 23 arrested the day before the
World Cup final in 2014 at Maracanã.
At that moment, it didn't work immediately, the protests continued, but then came another,
which was the persecution of the 23 arrested the day before the
World Cup final in 2014 at Maracanã.
So, in my view, there must be a campaign to annul this trial
because of how absurd it is and what political effect
it still aims to achieve today.
It still serves as a tool to say that anyone going to the streets
will be accused of murder.
It's curious that none of this was mobilized with the boy who died in BH,
with a street cleaner who died in Belém do Pará,
with other people who died and were injured during the protests,
but they didn't serve as this kind of "innocent,"
this perfect victim to paint the protesters,
especially those involved in confrontations with the military police,
against riot police,
to stop this type of demonstration.
It seems to me that
on one hand, there was a bit of relief with this outcome,
Fábio being released, Caio responding while being free,
but there is a need to confront the intended effect
that this case seeks and the political effect
of containing the revolt.
So, we continue to demand the annulment of the trial against Caio and Fábio,
because this trial is absurd and cannot be sustained.