STJ revokes rapper Oruam’s preventive detention

STJ (Superior Court of Justice) Minister Joel Ilan Paciornik revoked the preventive detention of Mauro Davi dos Santos Nepomuceno, known as Oruam, a 25-year-old rapper. The decision was made in response to a request from his lawyer, Gustavo Mascarenhas. The minister stated in his decision that the reasoning used by the court to determine Oruam’s detention ‘appears insufficient in principle for the imposition of pretrial detention’. ‘The first-degree judge used vague arguments to refer to the risk of recidivism because the accused posted about the incident on social media, as well as the possible chance of fleeing, which was allegedly considered by the accused himself,’ he argued. The minister emphasized in the decision that the rapper is a first-time offender and had voluntarily presented himself to comply with the arrest warrant. Living the peak of a series of controversies involving his name and the Rio de Janeiro police, Oruam surrendered on July 22 after a preventive detention was ordered for association with drug trafficking and the Red Command (CV). Son of Marcinho VP – identified as one of the faction’s leaders – and nephew of Elias Pereira da Silva, known as Elias Maluco, who murdered journalist Tim Lopes, Oruam has tattoos in tribute to both. Despite this, he has always denied involvement in criminal activities. Before surrendering, he posted a video on Instagram: ‘I’m not a criminal’. ‘Anyone who cares about me, I’m going to surrender, guys, I’m not a criminal’, he stated in the post. Oruam gained prominence in 2022 with the release of the song ‘Invejoso’, joining Mainstreet, Orochi’s record label. Since then, he has accumulated hits and performed at major festivals such as Rock in Rio and Lollapalooza in 2024. On social media, he often showcases jewelry, luxury cars, parties, and even a Savannah F1 breed cat valued at up to $100,000. In the same year of his initial success, Oruam was named ‘Trap Revelation’ by the Sobre Funk portal. Raised in Cidade de Deus, west zone of Rio, he started recording music in 2021. He is the son of Márcia Gama and has four siblings. In a statement, the lawyers representing the artist stated that ‘the Defense has shown that all arguments used for the arrest warrant and the maintenance of detention are rejected by the jurisprudence of the Higher Courts, clearly demonstrating the illegality of the measure taken’. They also mentioned that the singer ‘Mauro Davi will comply with the different precautionary measures to be determined and, as he has been doing, will prove his innocence during the process’.