Pro-Bolsonaro rioters on trial for storming Brazil’s top government offices

By MAURICIO SAVARESE
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court justices have begun mulling whether to convict defendants accused of storming top government offices on Jan. 8 in an alleged bid to forcefully restore former President Jair Bolsonaro to office. First in line is 51-year-old Bolsonaro supporter Aécio Lúcio Costa Pereira. In January, cameras at the Senate filmed him wearing a shirt calling for a military coup and recording a video of himself praising others who had also broken into the building. Pereira has denied any wrongdoing. The two first justices to rule had different takes on the crimes committed, but both ruled the supporter of the former president as guilty. The trial was adjourned until Thursday.