Brazil: Electoral Court Fines Bolsonaro For Fake News Against Lula
By ABr
By Felipe Pontes
The plenary of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court decided by 5 to 2 to fine former President Jair Bolsonaro BRL 15 thousand for spreading fake news against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the 2022 election campaign, when both were running for president.
The case concerns Bolsonaro’s posts on social media associating President Lula and his party, the PT, with the criminal organization Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). The court had already ordered the removal of the posts during the campaign, and has now reiterated the order.
The matter was brought under discussion in November last year, when then rapporteur Judge Benedito Gonçalves had voted for a fine of BRL 15 thousand. The consideration was interrupted at the time by a request from Judge Raul Araújo.
On Thursday (Feb. 8), when proceedings were resumed, the rapporteur was joined by Judges Cármen Lúcia and Alexandre de Moraes. Justices Ramos Tavares and Maria Cláudia Bucchianeri, who are no longer members of the Superior Electoral Court, had also voted in favor of the fine.
Judges Araújo and Nunes Marques voted against the ruling, considering there had been no violation of the rules on electoral propaganda.
