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Brazil police carry out more raids as part of Jan. 8 riots probe

Brazil's federal police said on Thursday they were carrying out a fresh round of raids and arrests as part of an investigation into the 8 January riots in Brasilia, in which supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings.
Bolsonaro testifies and denies responsibility in the January coup Former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro leaves the headquarters of the Federal Police after giving testimony, for the anti-democratic attacks that took place in January, in Brasilia, Brazil, 26 April 2023. Bolsonaro testified for about two hours before the police and denied any responsibility in the coup on January 8, which allegedly tried to overthrow the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. EPA-EFE/Andre Borges

Police, according to a statement, were serving 10 arrest warrants and 16 search and seizure warrants in five states and the federal district, where Brasilia is located.

The raids represent the fourteenth phase of an operation launched in mid-January to identify people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, in which a crowd invaded and ransacked the Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court.

Police did not disclose the names of those targeted, but said they were being investigated for crimes of "violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d'état, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and damge of specially protected property."

The targets of the raids, police added, were suspected of fomenting a "violent movement" known as "Festa da Selma," which they said was a codename used by rioters to refer to the invasions.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino confirmed Thursday's operation in a post on social media platform X. The warrants being served were all issued by the Supreme Court, police said.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Kylie Madry)

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