The US has slapped sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing concerns over his conduct in the criminal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
This was announced by the US Treasury Department on Wednesday. The sanctions accuse Moraes of overstepping legal boundaries.
The Trump administration said that the judge ordered arbitrary pre-trial detentions and curbed freedom of expression.
Moraes is currently presiding over Bolsonaro’s trial, which centers on allegations that the former president attempted to cling to power through a coup after losing the 2022 election.
What’s behind the move?
Justice Alexandre de Moraes imposed a series of tough restrictions on former President Jair Bolsonaro, including an order to wear an ankle monitor, a ban on social media use, and a prohibition against contacting foreign governments, moves reportedly driven by fears that Bolsonaro might attempt to flee the country.
These steps came shortly after Brazil’s Supreme Court approved search warrants and police raids on Bolsonaro’s home.
The US Treasury Department has sharply criticized Moraes, accusing him of cracking down on constitutionally protected speech and frequently resorting to pretrial detentions without formal charges.
The sanctions, announced under the Global Magnitsky Act, allow the US to penalize foreign officials linked to human rights violations or corruption.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent condemned Moraes’s conduct as a politically motivated “witch hunt,” alleging it targeted both American and Brazilian supporters of Bolsonaro.
Political firestorm over Bolsonaro trial
The US State Department has also revoked visas for Justice Alexandre de Moraes, several of his fellow justices, and their family members.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the legal campaign against former President Jair Bolsonaro as politically motivated, calling it “censorship” and a clear violation of fundamental freedoms.
These actions have further strained relations between Washington and Brasília.
Bolsonaro, a close ally of former US President Donald Trump, has received Trump’s vocal backing.
Trump slammed the trial in São Paulo as an “international disgrace” and warned of 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports starting August 1 unless Brazil halts what he described as the political prosecution of Bolsonaro.
Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, strongly rejected the US sanctions and visa bans, calling them an unjustified intrusion into Brazil’s judicial independence.
The Bolsonaro case has become a focal point of the growing geopolitical rift.
Moraes, seen by many on the Brazilian left as a defender of democracy, faces accusations from Bolsonaro’s allies and the US right of abusing his judicial power to silence political opponents.
Bolsonaro’s family members, including his son Eduardo, have actively lobbied in Washington to push for sanctions against Moraes and support for Bolsonaro’s legal defense abroad.
The US decision to sanction a sitting justice of Brazil’s highest court marks an extraordinary move that underscores how deeply Brazil’s political and judicial turmoil has spilled onto the global stage.
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