Brazil Supreme CourtA woman in Brazil has been jailed for 14 years after writing an offensive message in lipstick on a statue during riots in Brasilia.
Debora Rodrigues took part in the unrest in January 2023, along with hundreds of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The riot saw thousands of Bolsonaro’s supporters attack government buildings following his election loss the previous year.
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.
Rodrigues was arrested as part of a broader investigation into an alleged coup plot against the newly-elected President Lula da Silva.
She was convicted of multiple offences, including the destruction of property, membership of a criminal organisation, and involvement in an attempted coup.
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”.
Rodrigues maintains that she did not take part in any violence.
Earlier in court, she maintained that she was “a good citizen”.
“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, and argue that the Supreme Court has become too powerful and partisan.
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.
