
Brazilian who stole ball signed by Neymar gets 17 years prison
The Supreme Court on Monday night convicted Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, over the robbery of the ball.
He was also convicted of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association and attempting a coup over his participation in the riots in Brasilia.
More than 500 people have been convicted over the events of January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace to protest his election loss to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Ribeiro confessed to taking the ball, which Neymar's boyhood club Santos — to which he returned this year — gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012.
His lawyers claimed that he found it on the floor of Congress during the unrest, took it away to protect it and handed it in 20 days later to the police.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Ribeiro had 'actively participated' in events leading to the storming and sacking of Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace.
Moraes described the ball which he took, which had been on display in a corridor, as a 'public good belonging to the public heritage' of Brazil.
The riots came a week after Lula was sworn in after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Bolsonaro in October 2022 elections.
The demonstrators called for the military to intervene to oust him.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the United States at the time.
He is on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest power from Lula in the event of his victory.
Prosecutors claim the plot only failed due to a lack of military backing.
Bolsonaro denies the charges. — AFP
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Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Brazilian who stole ball signed by Neymar gets 17 years prison
BRASÍLIA, July 2 — A Brazilian accused of stealing a football autographed by Neymar from Congress during the 2023 riots by supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for the theft and other charges. The Supreme Court on Monday night convicted Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, over the robbery of the ball. He was also convicted of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association and attempting a coup over his participation in the riots in Brasilia. More than 500 people have been convicted over the events of January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace to protest his election loss to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Ribeiro confessed to taking the ball, which Neymar's boyhood club Santos — to which he returned this year — gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012. His lawyers claimed that he found it on the floor of Congress during the unrest, took it away to protect it and handed it in 20 days later to the police. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Ribeiro had 'actively participated' in events leading to the storming and sacking of Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace. Moraes described the ball which he took, which had been on display in a corridor, as a 'public good belonging to the public heritage' of Brazil. The riots came a week after Lula was sworn in after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Bolsonaro in October 2022 elections. The demonstrators called for the military to intervene to oust him. Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the United States at the time. He is on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest power from Lula in the event of his victory. Prosecutors claim the plot only failed due to a lack of military backing. Bolsonaro denies the charges. — AFP


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Brazilian man gets 17 years for stealing Neymar's signed football
BRASÍLIA: A Brazilian man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing a football autographed by Neymar during the 2023 riots in Brasília. Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, was convicted by the Supreme Court for theft, violent abolition of democratic rule, armed criminal association, and coup attempt. The incident occurred on January 8, 2023, when thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings, protesting his election loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Over 500 people have been convicted in connection with the riots. Ribeiro admitted taking the ball, which was gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012 by Neymar's boyhood club Santos. His lawyers argued he took it to protect it and later handed it to police. However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled Ribeiro actively participated in the violent events. The ball, displayed in a congressional corridor, was described as 'public good belonging to the public heritage' of Brazil. The riots occurred a week after Lula's inauguration, following his narrow victory over Bolsonaro in 2022. Bolsonaro, accused of instigating the unrest, faces trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the election results. Prosecutors claim the plan failed due to lack of military support. Bolsonaro denies all charges.


New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Brazilian who stole ball signed by Neymar gets 17 years' prison
BRASILIA: A Brazilian accused of stealing a football autographed by Neymar from Congress during the 2023 riots by supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for the theft and other charges. The Supreme Court on Monday night convicted Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, over the robbery of the ball. He was also convicted of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association and attempting a coup over his participation in the riots in Brasilia. More than 500 people have been convicted over the events of January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace to protest his election loss to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Ribeiro confessed to taking the ball, which Neymar's boyhood club Santos – to which he returned this year – gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012. His lawyers claimed that he found it on the floor of Congress during the unrest, took it away to protect it and handed it in 20 days later to the police. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Ribeiro had "actively participated" in events leading to the storming and sacking of Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace. Moraes described the ball which he took, which had been on display in a corridor, as a "public good belonging to the public heritage" of Brazil. The riots came a week after Lula was sworn in after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Bolsonaro in the October 2022 elections. The demonstrators called for the military to intervene to oust him. Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the US at the time. He is on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest power from Lula in the event of his victory. Prosecutors claim the plot only failed due to a lack of military backing. Bolsonaro denies the charges.