Miruna Genoino to 247: "my father pays rent"

Gisele Federicce 247 - The financial hardship imposed by the courts on former congressman José Genoino is not limited to the R$ 667,5 fine, which must be paid with funds obtained from members of the Workers' Party. Today, Genoino is also being forced to pay rent because Joaquim Barbosa prevented him from serving house arrest at his home, in one of the most surreal decisions in the history of the Brazilian judiciary.

Since he was unable to return to São Paulo, where he resides in a modest home in Butantã, Genoino now pays rent to serve his "house arrest" outside his home, in Brasília. This revelation was made by Miruna Genoino in an interview with 247. Read below: 

 
247 - What has your father's routine been like? Have you been spending a lot of time with him since he was arrested?

Miruna Genoino - We can't talk about routine, since my father is under HOUSE ARREST outside his home, with all the complications that such a situation entails. Because of this, I haven't been able to spend much time with him myself, as I live and work in São Paulo, which limits my availability. Currently, I've been closer to him because I'm on vacation, but that's almost over.

247 - Where is he currently serving house arrest?

Miruna - In a rented house. It's absurd, my father is paying to serve house arrest.

247 - I understand you accompany him to some of his medical appointments. Are they at his doctor's request?

Miruna - Yes, and because he was supposed to return to São Paulo on January 7th for a consultation with Dr. Kalil to reassess his recovery, but since that request was denied by the president of the Supreme Federal Court, we had to rethink the medical support structure here in Brasília.

247 - And how is his state of mind at the moment? How did he react to the decision about the fine?

Miruna - My father's state of mind is one of great indignation and outrage, but also of determination not to bow down to injustice. We can't say much more about it, nor about his reaction, partly because my father is forbidden from expressing a public opinion, and we don't know if commenting on his reaction could be interpreted as a breach of this absurd rule.

247 - You said you disagree with the argument, defended by 247, that paying the fine is a way to retreat legally and politically. Why?

Miruna - My father is in prison not because he backed down and accepted the sentence, but because he is forced to accept it by court order. The same situation applies to the fine; we are not fighting to raise the necessary funds because we have given up fighting, much less because he is guilty. On the contrary, our fundraising efforts are our political strength, showing that we are in this campaign because we have no other way to obtain the necessary money. And whatever we achieve, whether it's 100 reais or 100.000 reais, will be thanks to the support of many people who believe in his innocence. Furthermore, my father does not want to compromise his family in any way, and there were indeed risks involved, even though the general consensus was to the contrary. Serving the sentence does not mean admitting guilt.

247 - Are you working on the possibility of not being able to pay it?

Miruna - It may not be possible to give the full amount of 667.513,92, but we will also contest this amount, as the correction index applied was absurd.

247 - You witnessed a movement of supporters wanting to make donations to your father, most of whom were certainly unknown to the family. What is your view on this?

Miruna - As I mentioned above, this fundraising has an undeniable political force that our family greatly appreciates, as it represents the strength of our struggle, the strength of our truth: that my father is innocent, that he was unjustly convicted, and that he, like all of us, and our children, and our children's children, and however many generations it takes, will fight so that justice may one day be done. This movement shows that we are not alone in the face of all this barbarity.