One dead after attack on Brazil’s Supreme Court

A man who tried to attack Brazil’s Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday evening is believed to have been killed by his own explosives.

He was found dead outside the building shortly after two explosions rocked the area. Bystanders said they witnessed the man throwing explosives before the blast. No one else was injured in the incident, officials said.

The area is sealed off and a bomb disposal robot is used to search the man’s body. Police say they have identified a timer that may be linked to other devices.

The country’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, condemned what he said was a deliberate attack and promised a full investigation into the blasts.

“I strongly condemn the attacks on the Supreme Court and the House of Commons,” he said in a statement to X.

“We must know the motivation behind the attacks and restore peace and security as soon as possible.”

Footage from news agencies showed the deceased man lying in an area outside the court as officers cordoned off the area.

“The Military Police robot is searching the body of the person who carried out the attack and a timer has been identified, which may be related to other explosives,” said police spokesman Major Raphael van der Broocke.

“Other explosives have already been identified around the body,” he added. “We must be very careful in conducting this search and, if necessary, detonate these explosives on site to avoid causing a chain reaction.”

Brasilia’s deputy governor, Celina Leao, told reporters that the explosion occurred after a man approached the entrance to the court and failed to enter. She recommended that parliament be kept closed on Thursday while the investigation continued.

“It could have been a lone wolf like others we have seen around the world,” she told reporters, according to the AP news agency.

“We consider it a suicide because there was only one victim. But research will show whether that was indeed the case.”

An eyewitness said she saw a man wave at her before throwing explosives at the Supreme Court building.

“I was at the bus stop and this man just waved hello and said nothing else,” Lavana Costa told TV Globo.

“Then we heard the noise. I looked around at the noise and saw fire and smoke. The Supreme Court (STF) guards came… He had already thrown something at the statue of justice.

“As the STF guards approached, he threw something again. Then it exploded and he fell to the ground.”

Earlier, the Supreme Court said in a statement that the building had been evacuated as a “precautionary measure” after explosions were heard. The judges had just finished hearing a plenary session and were quickly evacuated safely, it added.

The court is located in the Praça dos Três Poderes, or Three Powers Plaza, across from the square of the presidential offices. Local media reported that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had left the area shortly before the explosions.

The explosions come just a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit the capital after a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Last year the square was the scene of mass disorder after supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro looted the buildings in an attempt to prevent his electoral defeat by President Lula.