Congresswoman Carla Zambelli to stand trial for chasing man at gunpoint

A majority of Supreme Court Justices (9 of 11) voted to accept charges filed by the Federal Prosecution Office against pro-Bolsonaro congresswoman Carla Zambelli, who is accused of unlawful possession of a weapon and unlawful harassment with the use of a weapon. 

Justices Nunes Marques and André Mendonça voted to the contrary, stating that it is not the court’s prerogative to rule on the case and it should be sent to the São Paulo courts, where the incident occurred. Both justices were appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro.

One day before the second round of the presidential elections last year, Ms. Zambelli pointed a gun at black man who criticized her, and chased him on the streets of São Paulo. One of her bodyguards also ran after the man and accidentally fired a shot. 

Last year’s election was the most polarized in decades, and with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead in the polls, tempers flared between voters of the two candidates. In September, the Superior Electoral Court banned carrying most private guns and ammunition during Election Day weekend. 

The prosecutors asked that Ms. Zambelli should permanently lose the right to carry a weapon and pay BRL 100,000 (USD 20,061) in collective damages. The congresswoman’s defense counsel says they will prove her innocence.

It is not a great moment for Ms. Zambelli. Notorious hacker Walter Delgatti Neto accused her of hiring him to hack the phone of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, head of the Superior Electoral Court (a story revealed by The Brazilian Report in February), and to participate in a plan to discredit the Brazilian electronic voting system. 

A former close ally, Mr. Bolsonaro has distanced himself from the congresswoman, saying that they haven’t spoken since last year. The former president is also busy, suspected of attempting a coup following the 2022 elections, as well as being implicated in a jewelry sales scandal investigation. So any proximity to Ms. Zambelli could prove toxic for him.

• #jairBolsonaro
• #violence