The Portuguese Public Ministry wants the man that threatened the President of the Republic to be considered “unaccountable”.
According to the accusation, in October 2022, the defendant sent an envelope to the Portuguese President of the Republic threatening his life. The envelope contained a bullet, a letter with threats to the President’s life, and a payment demand of one million euros via bank transfer or in cash.
The man was charged with the following crimes: attempt of aggravated coercion; attempt of aggravated extortion; possession of a prohibited firearm; improper access; data deviation.
According to Article 333 of the Portuguese Penal Code, the crime of threatening the President alone can lead to up to 8 years in prison. However, the Portuguese Public Ministry argues that the defendant should be subject to psychiatric hospitalization instead of jail.
The document shared by the Public Ministry states that the defendant is mentally ill, suffering from schizophrenia and that he was in a troubled period when he threatened the President. For that reason, he should be hospitalized and not incarcerated.
The man, which was subject to a coercive measure of pretrial detention, has been hospitalized since January this year.
