Brazil police probe Telegram election attack plot

Brazilian police are investigating eight suspects accused of plotting attacks in Brasilia during the October 4 presidential election, including alleged plans shared in public Telegram groups, security officials said Tuesday.

Victor Fernandes, digital rights secretary at Brazil's justice ministry, said intercepted communications showed the suspects, aged 19 to 31, were planning "severe acts of violence" against the presidential palace, parliament, the Supreme Court and ministries in the capital.

Fernandes said the suspects were members of two public Telegram groups that shared information about planning attacks in Brasilia during the election period.

Maurilio Coelho, head of intelligence for the Brasilia civil police, said the suspects were conspiring against "the political system as a whole," without specifying the left or the right and without naming specific officials as targets.

Police said the suspects live in five different states, do not know each other personally and have no criminal records. One is a seminarian at a monastery in Pernambuco.

A police statement said the group exchanged messages about travelling to Brasilia, storming buildings, choosing targets, recruiting people from different states and conducting tactical training. Police said they also allegedly shared building plans and 3D models of government buildings, along with manuals for making explosive devices.

The investigation was triggered by information from a cybercrimes intelligence unit. Police have seized electronic devices and are investigating how organised the group was and how far any plans had progressed.

Authorities have asked the National Data Protection Agency to investigate whether Telegram failed in its duty to prevent the mass circulation of criminal content, Fernandes said.

The crimes under investigation are potential criminal conspiracy, incitement to crime and glorification of crime. Police said the case is not currently being treated as terrorism.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seeking a fourth term in the election against right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing his 2022 re-election bid. Hundreds of his supporters were convicted over the January 2023 storming of government buildings and the Supreme Court in Brasilia, a week after Lula took office.