Brazilian Parliament approves bill stopping statute of limitations for fugitive convicts

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that suspends the statute of limitations process for convicts who escape from prison or violate parole rules. The bill, prepared by Representative Kim Kataguiri, aims to prevent convicts from escaping to avoid their sentences and to put an end to this situation resulting in impunity. The bill was passed without any amendments and sent to the Senate for final approval.

According to the current Brazilian Penal Code, the statute of limitations for the state's right to execute the sentence was calculated based on the remaining sentence term in the event of the convict's escape. This situation allowed the sentences of fugitives who were not caught for a sufficient period of time to be completely dropped. According to the new rule, the statute of limitations process will be completely stopped until the convict is recaptured or surrenders to serve their sentence.

Representatives supporting the bill argued that the current situation had turned into a reward that essentially encouraged escape and created a major security loophole. During the debates, representatives cited former representatives who fled abroad seeking impunity and some well-known public figures as examples. It was stated that the decision does not cover fugitive former Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, but will affect suspects who fled the country, such as Carla Zambelli.