Brazil’s Chamber president says decision to uphold Silveira’s arrest will change deputies’ behavior

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – By 364 to 130 votes, the federal Chamber of Deputies decided to uphold Daniel Silveira’s imprisonment. The deputy had been arrested after he posted a video supporting the AI-5 dictatorial decree and the immediate removal of all Federal Supreme Court (STF) justices, which is unconstitutional.

A total of 364 deputies voted in favor and 130 against. Detained at the Rio de Janeiro State Police headquarters, the deputy watched the session online.

Chamber of Deputies’ president Arthur Lira said on Friday, February 19th, that the plenary’s decision to keep deputy Daniel Silveira in prison will change deputies’ behavior. According to Lira, the decision will lead to a more “respectful” environment, without “radicalism.”

Silveira’s arrest was ordered on Tuesday, February 16th, by STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and unanimously approved by the STF plenary on Wednesday, February 17th. Under the Constitution, the votes of a majority of the Chamber membership (257 out of 513) are required to uphold the arrest. By the vote of 364 to 130, the House decided to maintain Silveira in prison.

Silveira was arrested after posting a video in which he spoke in favor of Institutional Act 5 (AI-5), the harshest measure of repression under the military dictatorship, and advocated the dismissal of STF justices, both of which actions would be unconstitutional.

“The unusual event that occurred today will be a landmark of internal change in the behavior of deputies in the Chamber. Respect, cordial relations, ample debate, but always respectful. We can’t allow personal attacks, radicalism, and unwelcome positions in the plenary to continue to occur, and for extremes to continue clashing,” said Lira.

Commenting on Friday’s vote, Lira also said that Friday’s vote was “sacrificial” and that democracy must be upheld.

“This session today leaves no deputy feeling calm or happy. It was a very sacrificial vote for everyone. All deputies know what this vote represents for the institution. What we expect, from today on, in short, will be what we stated at the start of the session: respect for democracy and boundaries for all powers,” he said.

Arthur Lira further said that the independence of the powers must be respected, but that the Chamber will take “firm” action so that cases like Daniel Silveira’s will never happen again. “This case was extremely isolated, exceptional, very particular, and there will not be other cases like this.”

On Friday, February 19th, during the session to decide if he would be kept in prison, deputy Silveira apologized for the attacks and offenses in a video he posted on a social network.

“I watched my video several times. I couldn’t understand the moment of anger that I found myself in and I apologize to all of Brazil because I realized, from several people, renowned jurists, ladies, gentlemen, teenagers, any kind of class, that I did, in fact, exceed myself in my words. A passionate moment”, said the deputy, from his prison cell.

Rapporteur of the case, deputy Magda Mofatto issued an opinion supporting upholding the arrest. She said that Daniel Silveira uses his mandate as a “platform for the spread of hate speech.”

“We have among us a deputy who constantly attacks democracy and institutions and has converted the exercise of his mandate into a platform for hate speech, attacks on minorities, support for coups and incitement to violence against public authorities,” she said.

Source: G1