Franco had worked with Rio de Janeiro’s city council to oppose housing developments in poorer neighbourhoods that were a source of income for militia groups.
The case exposed links between politicians and organised crime.
The brothers “didn’t just have contact with the militia. They were the militia,” Judge Alexandre de Moraes said.
The only woman on the Supreme Court, Carmen Lucia, said the process had caused her “great spiritual and psychological harm”, asking how many more “Marielles will Brazil allow to be murdered?”
In a post on Instagram, Franco’s sister Anielle Franco – who serves as minister for racial equality – paid tribute to Brazil’s judicial system, saying it had “honoured the memory of Marielle and Anderson”.
She added: “It has been eight years of struggle to find out who ordered Marielle’s murder and why. Eight years of fighting for full justice.
“Brazil begins a new historic chapter in confronting political violence based on gender and race. Impunity cannot be part of our democracy.”
In 2024, two former police officers were jailed in 2024 over Marielle’s murder. Ronnie Lessa confessed to firing the shots and was sentenced to 78 years and nine months, while Élcio de Queiroz received 59 years and eight months for being behind the wheel.
The Brazao brothers were arrested in 2024 after Lessa named them as the masterminds behind the murders as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
