Brazil Prosecutor General opposes suspending Jan 8 sentence‑reduction law

The Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) submitted an opinion to Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) on 18 June 2026 urging that the “Lei da Dosimetria” (Law No. 15.402/2026), which allows the reduction of sentences for those convicted of the 8 January 2023 attacks, remain in force. Prosecutor‑General Paulo Gonet argued that the law does not constitute an amnesty, does not name individual beneficiaries, and is within Congress’s competence. The law would affect participants in the Jan 8 protests, including former president Jair Bolsonaro, whose 27‑year‑plus sentence could be reduced.

The STF had previously suspended the law after challenges from left‑wing parties, the PT‑PCdoB‑PV federation and the Brazilian Press Association, citing constitutional concerns. The PGR’s view counters the Attorney‑General’s Office, which maintains the law is unconstitutional. The case awaits a plenary vote, with relator Minister Alexandre de Moraes set to forward the PGR’s opinion to the full court.

Key quotation from the PGR opinion: “A Lei n° 15.402/2026 ainda não individualiza beneficiários, não menciona pessoas determinadas, nem condiciona sua incidência à existência de condenações específicas proferidas pelo STF.”