Brazil Supreme CourtA woman who wrote on a statue using lipstick during unrest in the Brazilian capital in 2023 has been jailed for 14 years.
Debora Rodrigues took part in the unrest along with hundreds of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who attacked government buildings following his election loss the previous year.
The 29-year-old was convicted of involvement with a criminal organisation aiming to launch a coup and eliminate the democratic rule of law.
Justice Cristiano Zanin, one of a panel of five judges overlooking Rodrigues’s case, stressed she was not being tried solely for the graffiti and was convicted of multiple offences, but many in Brazil believe her sentence is too harsh.
Supporters of Bolsonaro meanwhile say the ruling is further evidence that the Supreme Court has become too powerful and partisan.
Rodrigues was arrested as part of a broader investigation into an alleged coup plot against the newly-elected President Lula da Silva.
The 39-year-old hairdresser apologised for writing “You lost, idiot” on the statue of Justice outside the Supreme Federal Court – an incident dubbed the “lipstick coup”.
She maintains that she did not take part in any violence.
“I went to the protests and I didn’t imagine that they would be so turbulent,” said Rodrigues. “I have never done anything illegal in my life”.
Rodrigues’ lawyers said that she did not enter any buildings during the riots and acted impulsively in the “heat of the moment.” She expressed regret over her actions.
Joédson Alves/Agência BrasilJustice Alexandre de Moraes, presiding over the case, argued that Rodrigues “consciously and voluntarily” aligned herself with demonstrators seeking to overthrow the government.
He added that Rodrigues had admitted to taking part in anti-democratic acts in her testimony to police, and that gaps in messages on her phone suggested she had attempted to conceal evidence.
The case has become a rallying point for Bolsonaro supporters, who view Rodrigues as a victim of political persecution.
In February, a video about Rodrigues went viral on social media. The following month, Bolsonaro shared a post about her on X, calling for an amnesty for those involved in the civil unrest in 2023.
Bolsonaro is also facing criminal proceedings over the alleged coup attempt. If found guilty he faces over 40 years in prison.
