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A Brazilian judge on Thursday handed lengthy jail terms to two former cops over the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco.
The two were sentenced to 78 and 59 years in prison respectively.
The trial of Ronnie Lessa and Elcio Queiroz lasted two days.
The two former military police officers had confessed to the killing of the iconic Black activist and her driver in a drive-by shooting on March 14, 2018.
What happened in the case?
Jurors found that Lessa, who was handed the 78-year-and-nine-month-sentence, was the one who fired the gun, while Queiroz was driving.
The pair were arrested in 2019.
Ahead of the trial, they had signed plea bargains confessing to their crimes. Prosecutors had argued that each of them should be sentenced to the maximum possible sentence of 84 years.
Another trial for the men accused of ordering Franco’s killing has yet to come.
Marielle was universally known by her first name. Raised in one of Rio’s poor favelas, she was known for her efforts to improve the lives of ordinary residents.
She particularly fought violence against women and defended human rights and social programs once she was elected in 2016.
Though the verdict was expected, it is expected to provide solace to many who saw her death as an attack on democracy and were concerned for impunity.
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rt/wd (AP, AFP)