US sanctions Brazil Supreme Court justice in Bolsonaro case
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that it was imposing sanctions on Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing alleged suppression of freedom of expression and his role in the ongoing trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro is accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election defeat to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Moraes oversees that case, News.Az reports citing ABC news.
“De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement.
The decision orders the freezing of any assets or property de Moraes may have in the U.S.
Brazil’s Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wednesday’s announcement follows the U.S. State Department's announcement of visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, including de Moraes, on July 18.
Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, was hosted by the then-U.S. President at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020.
Similar news
