Brazil Supreme Court upholds conviction of former mayor Washington Reis

The Supreme Federal Court (STF) has rejected appeals by Washington Reis, the former mayor of Duque de Caxias and former federal deputy, maintaining his conviction for environmental crimes and irregular land subdivision. The ruling, decided by a 6 to 3 vote, upholds a sentence of seven years, two months, and 15 days of imprisonment, to be served initially in a semi-open regime.

The case involves the construction of the Vila Verde subdivision near the Tinguá Biological Reserve in Rio de Janeiro between 2005 and 2006. The defense argued for 'abolitio criminis', claiming that 2010 changes to National Environment Council (Conama) regulations reduced the protected buffer zone from ten to three kilometers, which they argued should apply retroactively to absolve Reis of environmental crimes.

However, the court's rapporteur, Minister Flávio Dino, rejected these arguments, stating that administrative rule changes do not eliminate the criminal protections afforded to conservation units. The conviction also renders Reis ineligible for political office under the 'Ficha Limpa' law, impacting his potential candidacy for the 2026 elections.