The trial taking place in the Fourth Jury Court, in the central region of Rio de Janeiro, is already considered historic in the Brazilian nation. Photo: Brasil de Fato.

Rio de Janeiro, October 30 (RHC)-- Media reports say that justice will finally decide the sentence that the murderers of Marielle Franco deserve -- six years after the vile crime.  84 years in prison is the requested sentence for the accused.

Relatives of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes, the councilor's driver who was also murdered, participated in a public event in front of the Court of Justice of the state of Rio de Janeiro, before the popular jury that decides whether the confessed defendants Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Queiroz will be convicted of the crime.

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro will request the maximum sentence of 84 years for those accused of the murder of feminist councilor Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes.

Relatives and activists are mobilizing and waiting for the judges' ruling and opinion, in response to the call for mobilizations for this Wednesday. "It is not normal to have been waiting almost 7 years," said Anielle Franco, Marielle's sister and Minister of Racial Equality in the current Brazilian Government.

In addition to the accused, the relatives of the councilor and her driver will be heard. "The feeling is to relive the pain," were the words of the councilor's mother, at the event this morning prior to the start of the trial.

This first week, seven witnesses were listed to testify: Marielle's mother, Marinete da Silva; The councilwoman's widow, Mônica Benício; Anderson Gomes' widow, Ágatha Reis; the only survivor of the attack, Fernanda Chaves; a criminal expert; and two civil police officers.

The defense also called Guilhermo de Paula Machado Catramby, head of the Federal Police, and Marcelo Pasqualetti, a Federal Police officer, witnesses for Ronnie Lessa, to testify.

Ronnie Lessa, the accused, who is in the Tremembé Penitentiary, in the interior of São Paulo, and Élcio Queiroz, who is in the Papuda prison in Brasilia, will testify, but he will do so via videoconference.

The political femicide of Marielle Franco, which occurred in 2018, shocked the country and popular movements carried out various actions to seek justice.

A month ago, the first trial was held for the murder of the councilwoman and Brazilian leader.  The courts in Rio de Janeiro handed down a first sentence to Edilson Barbosa dos Santos, better known as "Orelha", who was sentenced to five years in prison for helping the killers get rid of the car used in the crime.