Dozens indicted over Brazil’s January 8 riot

An incitement has been filed against 39 people by Brazil’s attorney general for their alleged involvement in the storming of the Senate building on 8 January. 

The January riot saw thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro storm three government buildings following his election loss. 

The indictment says the individuals used violence and threats to try to abolish democracy.

The indictment accuses the 39 unnamed people of offences including coup activities and damage to public property. 

But the filing said it had not been possible to show the group had broken anti-terror laws – despite prior suggestions from the government that suspects could be charged on this basis.

The attorney general ordered a freeze on $7.7m of the group’s assets to cover repairs to damaged buildings.

Threats to democracy are a sensitive subject in a country where military rule ended in 1985. 

Riots after Bolsonaro lost election 

The former president has rejected claims that he caused the riots. Bolsonaro is currently in Florida, having left Brazil before the inauguration of his successor – left-wing Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. 

Lula beat out Bolsonaro in Brazil’s October elections – causing outrage amongst Bolsonaro’s supporters. 

Lula – a former president, had been found guilty of corruption in 2017 and spent time in prison before his convictions were annulled. 

There have been hundreds of arrests over the 8 January riot – which saw the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court all stormed and vandalised by rioters.