On 28 October, a large-scale police operation led by the Rio de Janeiro state police in the Alemão and Penha favela complexes was carried out with the objective of detaining leaders of the ‘Comando Vermelho’ organized criminal group. 120 people were killed, including 4 police officers, and more than 100 were detained during the operation, called Operação Contenção, becoming the deadliest in Brazil’s history. Neighbours and relatives of the victims have denounced the operation’s cruelty and lethality, alleging that police forces committed acts of torture and extrajudicial executions. Human rights groups condemned it as a massacre and a violent escalation of a security policy that terrorizes vulnerable communities without ensuring human rights or due process. Experts also pointed to the racist nature of such policing, warning that the killing of Afro-Brazilians by police is becoming systematic nationwide. President Lula da Silva called the operation ‘disastrous’and announced an independent inquiry into it.

Sources: Amnesty International, OHCHR, The conversation, Agencia Publica, Brasil de Fato, BBC

On 7 October, President Lula da Silva launched Brazil’s National Policy on Migration, Refugees and Statelessness (PNMRA) through Decree No. 12,657/2025. The policy aims to coordinate efforts among the federal government, states, municipalities, civil society, international organizations and migrant associations to promote and protect the rights of migrants, refugees and stateless people. It provides a framework for protecting, assisting and integrating these populations, including providing access to programs offering essential services like education, healthcare and housing, and support for employment and income generation. It also establishes contingency plans for how to respond to migration flows under a humanitarian crisis. The PNMRA has been praised by national and international organizations working with migrants as a significant and necessary step to strengthen migrant rights, enhance protections and contribute to national development.

Sources: Agncia Brasil, Governo Federal Brasil, UNHCR, Noticias UOL

On 11 September, the first panel of the Supreme Court of Brazil (STF), convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his closest allies—including senior military officers and former government officials—for participating in an attempted coup d'état, sentencing him to 27 years and three months in prison. The conviction has been described as a historic moment for accountability in a country that has never before seen a leader convicted for attempting to disrupt the democratic order, despite its long history of coups. The Court concluded that Bolsonaro and his allies had formed a criminal organisation to keep him in power after losing the 2022 elections. The plan included a plot to assassinate President Lula da Silva, his Vice-President and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as other attempts to create a state of chaos that would trigger military intervention. Bolsonaro claims the trial was politically motivated and is set to appeal, though legal experts say overturning the sentence is unlikely. 

Sources: Agencia Brasil, Brasil de Fato, The Guardian, CNN Brasil

On 3 June, President Lula da Silva promulgated Law No. 1958/2021, which expands the share of new positions in the federal public service that are reserved for minority groups from 20 to 30 per cent and adds Indigenous and Quilombola (descendants of enslaved people) as potential beneficiaries of the quota system. The new law replaces Law No. 12,990/2014, in place since 2014, which had reserved 20 per cent of federal employment vacancies for Black or mixed-race people but did not include Indigenous or Quilombola groups. The measure was presented as an effort to continue addressing structural inequalities in the country and to create public offices that are more reflective and representative of Brazilian society. The law is the result of broad discussions over two years that included parliamentarians, civil society, and oversight agencies. The new quota system will be reviewed after ten years.

Sources: CNN, Presidencia Brasil, AP news

On 26 June, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled that parts of Article 19 of the Internet Civil Rights Framework are unconstitutional, as they fail to protect fundamental rights and democracy. Article 19 held platforms liable for removing illegal content only after a judicial order. The STF ruled that, until new legislation is passed, companies must now actively monitor posts and take down reported illegal material (e.g., incitement to terrorism or anti-democratic acts, child pornography, racism). For crimes like calumny or defamation, platforms will be liable only if they ignore a court order. Freedom of expression experts argue that regulating social media platforms is critical, but the STF’s ruling failed to ensure protections for free access to information and against censorship, granting platforms discretionary power to define what content is illegal and subject to removal. Without legislated transparency measures, they warn, platforms could censor content based on private economic or political interests.

Source: AP News, Agencia Brasil, Supremo Tribunal federal, Oglobo, Artigo 19, Association for Progressive Communications

On 24 April, Supreme Court Justice Alexander de Moraes ordered the immediate imprisonment of former president Fernando Collor de Mello, who will be serving eight years of jail time following his conviction for corruption and money laundering connected to the Lava-Jato corruption scandal. The decision comes after de Moraes ruled to dismiss Collor de Mello's second appeal against his imprisonment following his conviction in May 2023. On 1 May, Collor de Mello was allowed to be transferred to his residency to serve house arrest after receiving authorization from the Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds (based on his advanced age and multiple health conditions). He will be forced to wear an ankle bracelet and will only be able to receive visits from his lawyers. Collor de Mello has pleaded not guilty to the charges of corruption and maintained his innocence throughout the years.

Souce: El Pais, Agência Brasil, Reuters