U.S. slaps sanctions on Brazilian Justice for silencing free speech

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The United States has imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing serious human rights abuses.

This includes arbitrary detentions and violations of freedom of expression, according to a U.S. Department of State press release issued today.

The sanctions, authorized under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, target Moraes for allegedly abusing his judicial authority to silence political critics.

The State Department accuses Moraes of issuing secret orders to compel online platforms, including U.S.-based social media companies, to ban accounts of individuals exercising protected speech.

Additionally, Moraes is alleged to have authorized unjust pre-trial detentions, further undermining free expression.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the U.S. commitment to countering foreign actors who threaten American free speech, stating, “The United States will use all appropriate and effective diplomatic, political, and legal instruments to protect the speech of Americans from foreign malign actors like Moraes who would seek to undermine it.”

Moraes, appointed to Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court in 2017, has been a polarizing figure, overseeing high-profile investigations, including the criminal case against former President Jair Bolsonaro for an alleged 2023 coup attempt.

His actions, including ordering social media account bans and platform suspensions, have drawn both support for safeguarding Brazilian democracy and criticism for alleged overreach.

The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by Moraes and prohibit U.S. companies from engaging in business with him, signaling a significant escalation in U.S.-Brazil diplomatic tensions.