Judge in Brazil’s ’Carwash’ Corruption Probe Dies in Plane Crash

Judge Zavascki oversaw trials of defendants in Carwash probe
Top Court bylaws allow appointment of new judge for trials

Teori Zavascki
Photographer: Andressa Anholete/AFP via Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Bruce Douglas, Mario Sergio Lima, and David Biller

January 19, 2017 at 7:27 PM UTC

Updated on

January 20, 2017 at 2:23 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who was presiding over Operation Carwash, a massive corruption probe, has died in a plane crash.

President Michel Temer confirmed the death of Teori Zavascki, 68, on Thursday evening, describing him as a "good man" and declaring three days of national mourning. Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences over Zavascki’s death. "Brazil has lost a citizen who brought honor to the judiciary," he wrote.