Brasília – Former director-general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) Silvinei Vasques will remain incarcerated in the Papudinha maximum-security prison in Brasília, a decision handed down by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Monday. The ruling also permits Vasques to continue his doctoral studies remotely.
The defense team had initially requested a transfer for Vasques to a prison facility in Santa Catarina, where he previously resided. However, they later reversed course, requesting he remain at Papudinha, citing the facility’s ability to meet his medical needs and maintain proximity to family. Justice Moraes affirmed that there were no impediments to his continued detention in Brasília.
The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) also expressed support for maintaining Vasques’s custody at Papudinha, according to the decision.
“the transfer is not a subjective right of the defendant, although the legal provision is in the sense that This proves possible to remain in prison near his social and family environment, in addition to observing a circumstance that justifies the measure in the interest of public safety or the convicted person himself and the existence of a vacancy in the destination establishment,” Moraes stated in his decision.
Doctoral Studies Authorized
In the same ruling, Justice Moraes authorized Vasques to continue his doctoral program in Economic and Business Law through distance learning. The PGR also endorsed this request after the defense provided documentation confirming his active enrollment in the postgraduate program.
“The Law of Execution of Penalties provides that a convicted person serving a sentence in a closed or semi-open regime may remit part of the sentence execution time through work or study. In this case, the documentation presented by the applicant’s defense demonstrates current enrollment in a postgraduate program (doctorate), including a favorable opinion from the Attorney General’s Office,” Moraes wrote.
Vasques’s Previous Residence
Prior to breaching his court-imposed precautionary measures and fleeing to Paraguay, where he was arrested on December 26th while attempting to board a flight to El Salvador, Silvinei Vasques resided in São José, in the Greater Florianópolis region. He previously held the position of Secretary of Economic Development for the municipality. He also served as the PRF superintendent in Santa Catarina. Vasques holds degrees in Economics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Law from the University of the Itajaí Valley, and Administration from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC).
Conviction in Conspiracy Case
Silvinei Vasques was sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison by the First Panel of the Supreme Court. He received the second-longest sentence, after Mário Fernandes, who the justices determined played the most significant role in the conspiracy following the 2022 elections. Vasques and four other defendants were convicted as part of “core 2” of the alleged coup attempt.
The former PRF director was accused of attempting to obstruct the electoral process during the second round of the 2022 presidential election. According to the indictment, he allegedly ordered PRF teams to conduct roadblocks and inspections in areas where then-candidate Lula da Silva had performed well in the first round. These actions, including the inspection of buses and vehicles transporting voters, were intended to hinder voters from reaching polling stations, particularly in the Northeast region, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office. The defense maintains Vasques’s innocence.
Who are the convicted in core 2 of the conspiracy?
