Toffoli will decide on Witzel's appeal against Benedito Gonçalves's unilateral decision

Rio de Janeiro's suspended governor, Wilson Witzel (PSC), filed an appeal with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Monday, the 31st, seeking to overturn his suspension, as determined by Operation Tris in Idem. The request was distributed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Dias Toffoli.

The governor's defense is challenging the single-judge decision by Justice Benedito Gonçalves of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), who deemed the temporary removal from office for 180 days appropriate "to put an end to the alleged corruption and money laundering activities" reported by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF). The Prosecutor's Office even requested the governor's arrest, which Gonçalves denied.

After receiving the news of his dismissal on Friday, the 28th, Witzel made a statement at Palácio das Laranjeiras, the governor's residence, in which he stated that he was a victim of 'political persecution' and said that he would file appeals against the decision as soon as his lawyers had access to the full complaint.