Arrest of Ten Brazilians Was the First Action Based on New Anti-Terrorism Law
The arrest of ten Brazilians on Thursday, July 21, for suspected connections with terrorist groups was the first anti-terror action carried out by the Brazilian Federal Police after the law that specifies this type of crime was approved.
President Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended from office, sanctioned Act 13.260 on March 16, 2016 - the law regulates a provision of the Brazilian Constitution on unbailable crimes and for those which there is no amnesty. Terrorism is among these crimes.
Federal Judge Marcos Josegrei da Silva, of the 14th Federal Court in Curitiba, Paraná, authorized the Hashtag operation and on Thursday, July 21, said that he believes the ten people arrested can fall into at least one of the two sections of the new law.
One of these acts is characterized by promoting, constituting, integrating or aiding, personally or by means of third parties, a terrorist organization. In this case, the criminals will be fined and serve five to eight years in prison.
Some of those arrested are also accused of "preparing terrorist attacks with the unequivocal purpose of carrying out such acts." For this crime, the sentence varies from six to 22 years and six months in prison.
If actions are in fact carried out, the sentence may reach 30 years in prison.
The law was approved amid threats made by international agencies to apply sanctions against the country if it lacks such rules.
The law defines what terrorist actions are, such as using or threatening to use, transport, keep, carry explosives, toxic gases, poison, biological, chemical or nuclear contents or other means to cause damage or promote mass destruction.
Translated by THOMAS MUELLO