The United States has imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing serious human rights abuses. The move comes as the U.S. government accuses Moraes of arbitrary detention and violating fair trial guarantees, as well as restricting freedom of expression.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of State, "Moraes abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics through the issuance of secret orders compelling online platforms, including U.S. social media companies, to ban the accounts of individuals for posting protected speech. Moraes further abused his position to authorize unjust pre-trial detentions and undermine freedom of expression."
Justice Moraes has been designated under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act—a law that allows the U.S. government to sanction foreign officials involved in significant human rights violations or corruption.
The Department’s statement also said: "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."
These sanctions reflect ongoing concerns about judicial overreach and suppression of dissent in Brazil.
