
Fernando Collor, Brazil's ex-President, arrested after court upholds conviction
Listen to article
Former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello was arrested early Friday morning after the country's Supreme Court rejected his appeals and ordered him to begin serving a prison sentence for corruption and money laundering.
Collor, 74, was taken into custody at 4:00 am local time by federal police in the northeastern city of Maceió, as he travelled to Brasília to voluntarily comply with the arrest order.
His lawyer, Marcelo Bessa, confirmed the arrest in a statement and said the former president had intended to turn himself in.
The arrest was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who on Thursday dismissed Collor's final legal challenges.
The court had previously sentenced the former president to eight years and 10 months in prison in 2023, following a conviction for accepting around 30 million reais (approximately $5.3 million) in bribes from a former subsidiary of state oil giant Petrobras.
Bessa expressed 'surprise and concern' at the court's decision but affirmed that Collor would comply with the legal ruling.
Collor made history in 1989 as the first Brazilian president elected by popular vote after the end of the military dictatorship in 1985. However, his presidency was short-lived.
In 1992, Congress impeached him amid a separate corruption scandal—though he was later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1994.
Despite his controversial past, Collor returned to political life, serving as a senator for Alagoas until early 2023, when he stepped down after an unsuccessful run for governor of the state.
The arrest marks a dramatic turn in the legacy of one of Brazil's most controversial political figures, once seen as a symbol of democratic renewal and later tainted by scandal and legal battles.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Gaza-bound humanitarian vessel Madleen seized by Israeli forces
Listen to article Israeli naval forces have seized the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel headed for Gaza, in international waters approximately 160km (100 miles) from the besieged Palestinian enclave. The ship, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and registered in the United Kingdom, was intercepted early Monday. Israeli authorities confirmed they are escorting the crew to Ashdod, a port city in southern Israel. Video footage taken before communications were lost shows the unarmed crew—activists and journalists from across Europe and the Americas—seated with hands raised as Israeli commandos boarded the ship. The vessel was reportedly carrying essential supplies including food, baby formula and medical items. Among the 12 detained are high-profile climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian organiser Thiago Ávila, French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, and journalist Omar Faiad from Al Jazeera Mubasher. READ: Madleen set to reach Palestinian waters within a day: Rima Hassan Before contact was lost, passengers said Israeli drones sprayed the ship with a thick white substance that caused burning and irritation. Analysts believe it may have been a tracking compound rather than Israel's commonly used 'skunk water'. Human rights experts have described the seizure as a breach of international law and a violation of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) provisional measures, which demand unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the ICJ's orders,' said Mouin Rabbani, non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila had recorded a message prior to departure, stating: 'If you're watching this, I've been kidnapped… we count on you.' He urged international pressure to ensure their release and to end the blockade. Vídeo gravado por Thiago Ávila caso fosse sequestrado pelos sionistas — Instituto Brasil-Palestina 🇵🇸 (@Ibraspal) June 9, 2025 The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs downplayed the mission as a 'selfie yacht' stunt, suggesting activists sought media attention rather than humanitarian goals. Critics called the statement degrading and warned it could constitute a war crime under international law. The Israeli Defence Ministry said the operation had been ordered by Minister Israel Katz, who labelled the voyage a 'propaganda effort in support of Hamas.' The vessel's interception follows a pattern of restrictions and violence around aid deliveries to Gaza. According to human rights monitors, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food in recent weeks. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said: 'Israel has no authority over Gaza. The people of Gaza need to be helped—not blockaded.' While #Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.#BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us. — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025 This latest interception comes just weeks after another FFC aid vessel (the Conscience) was attacked by drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The coalition accused Israel of targeting the ship, which suffered major damage to its hull. 'Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull,' the group said at the time. READ MORE: Aid ship bound for Gaza hit by drones, catches fire off Malta Greta Thunberg, who was aboard the intercepted yacht, said she had initially planned to join the earlier voyage. 'I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza,' she told Reuters. 'This attack caused an explosion and major damage to the vessel, which made it impossible to continue the mission.' Israel's war on Gaza Israel has continued its military campaign in Gaza despite widespread international calls for a ceasefire, with nearly 54,900 Palestinians reported killed since October 2023—most of them women and children, according to Gaza's health authorities. Aid agencies warn that over 2 million residents of the besieged enclave face acute risks of famine and displacement. READ: Palestinian death toll mounts with over 100 killed during Eid In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza conflict. Israel is also currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military operations against Palestinian civilians in the territory.


Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Trump warns Musk of ‘serious consequences' over GOP spending bill
Listen to article US President Donald Trump threatened his former advisor Elon Musk with "serious consequences" Saturday if the tech billionaire seeks to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill. The comments by Trump to NBC News come after the relationship between the world's most powerful person and the world's richest imploded in bitter and spectacular fashion this week The blistering break-up — largely carried out on social media before a riveted public on Thursday — was ignited by Musk's harsh criticism of Trump's so-called "big, beautiful" spending bill, which is currently before Congress. Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk — one of the Republican Party's biggest financial backers in last year's presidential election — to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation. Read more: Won't speak to Musk, says Trump as feud persists "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that," Trump, who also branded Musk "disrespectful," told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be. He also said he had "no" desire to repair his relationship with the South African born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has "no intention of speaking to him." Just last week, Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship cracked within days as Musk described as an "abomination" the spending bill that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump's second term in office. Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe and from, there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned. With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both had appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters "I just wish him well," and Musk responding on X: "Likewise." 'Old news' Trump spoke to NBC Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Musk had alleged that the Republican leader is featured in unreleased government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while he faced sex trafficking charges. Also read: Elon Musk floats idea of new US political party amid Trump rift The Trump administration has acknowledged it is reviewing tens of thousands of documents, videos and investigative material that his "MAGA" movement says will unmask public figures complicit in Epstein's crimes. Trump was named in a trove of deposition and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case. "Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files," Musk posted on his social media platform, X. "That is the real reason they have not been made public." Musk did not reveal which files he was talking about and offered no evidence for his claim. He initially doubled down on the claim, writing in a follow-up message: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." However, he appeared to have deleted both tweets by Saturday morning. Trump dismissed the claim as "old news" in his comments to NBC on Saturday, adding: "Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it." Read more: Trump not interested in talks with Elon Musk: White House Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump's "Make America Great Again" base allege that Epstein's associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others. They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself. No official source has ever confirmed that the president appears in any of the as yet unreleased material. Trump knew and socialized with Epstein but has denied spending time on Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex. "Terrific guy," Trump, who was Epstein's neighbor in both Florida and New York, said in an early 2000s profile of the financier. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."


Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah becomes acting CJP in rare Eid day ceremony
Listen to article Senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, took oath as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan on Saturday, in an unprecedented ceremony held on Eid day at the Supreme Court's Lahore Registry. The oath was administered by Justice Ayesha A. Malik, marking a rare event where the swearing-in of the country's top judicial office took place outside the federal capital and on a public holiday. The ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. Advocate General Punjab Amjad Pervez, along with several senior members of the legal fraternity, was also present. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will serve as Acting Chief Justice until June 10, during the absence of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. Justice Isa is expected to resume his duties upon his return next week.