Brasilia - Saba:
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes criticized the sanctions imposed on him by the United States, who is presiding over the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
De Moraes described the sanctions as "cowardly and futile threats" and stressed that he would ignore them and not submit to them.
In statements reported by the Brazilian news portal "G1" on Friday, Moraes said that the Supreme Court will continue to hear criminal cases related to the attempted coup that occurred on January 8, 2023, stressing his commitment to his constitutional duties. His remarks came after he was placed on the US sanctions list last Wednesday, with the US Treasury Department accusing him of waging "a campaign of censorship repression, arbitrary arrests, human rights violations, and political persecution against opponents, including former President Jair Bolsonaro."
It is noteworthy that Jair Bolsonaro, who served as president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023, lost the election to the current president, Lula da Silva. After the latter's inauguration, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed state institutions in a violent attack that included Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.
In November 2024, the Brazilian Federal Police charged Bolsonaro and former officials with attempting to overthrow the democratic system by organizing a coup. The case is now awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court, with the former president facing a possible prison sentence.
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