Brazil Supreme Court Judge defies 'cowardly' US sanctions over probe
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Brazil’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejects US sanctions as “cowardly,” vowing to continue probing Bolsonaro’s coup attempt and defend Brazil’s democracy.
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Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes hears testimony from Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro during a trial for those accused in an alleged coup plot to keep Bolsonaro in office in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, June 10, 2025 (AP)
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has denounced the US sanctions imposed on him as “cowardly threats,” asserting that Brazil’s highest court will not be deterred from continuing its investigation into the January 8 coup attempt led by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In a statement on Friday, Moraes emphasized that he will not “bow to cowardly and fruitless threats” and intends to “ignore the sanctions.” His remarks were reported by Brazil’s G1 news outlet and come just days after the US Treasury placed him on a sanctions list, accusing him of leading an “oppressive campaign of censorship,” arbitrary arrests, and politically motivated prosecutions.
Moraes firmly defended the legitimacy of the court’s actions, stating: “This court has carried out and will continue to carry out its constitutional mission by hearing and ruling on the four key cases of the important criminal proceedings related to the attempted coup of January 8.”
The US sanctions accuse Moraes of human rights violations and political targeting, particularly of Bolsonaro and his allies. However, Brazilian authorities maintain that the investigations and arrests were essential to defending the country’s democratic institutions.
The fallout stems from the January 8, 2023, assault on Brazil’s democratic institutions, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace in Brasília, one week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in. Roughly 2,000 individuals were arrested on that day.
In November 2024, Brazil’s federal police formally charged Bolsonaro and several former officials with attempting to overthrow democracy, accusing them of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy. The case is now moving to the Supreme Court, with Bolsonaro facing potential prison time.
Lula slams US over visa restrictions
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denounced the US decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, calling it “arbitrary” and “baseless" and condemning foreign interference in Brazil’s judiciary as “unacceptable".
In a statement on Saturday, Lula said the move violated core principles of mutual respect and national sovereignty.
The tensions follow a decision by the Trump administration to sanction Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family, and other officials. The visa bans came in response to the Brazilian Supreme Court’s actions against Bolsonaro, a Trump ally accused of attempting to stage a coup after his 2022 election loss.
Lula responded firmly, "I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil's powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law."
Solicitor General Jorge Messias, the top legal official in President Lula’s administration, revealed late Friday on X that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also among those targeted by the US visa bans.
Seven other members of Brazil’s Supreme Court hit with visa restrictions
Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann later confirmed that, in addition to Justice Alexandre de Moraes, seven other members of Brazil’s 11-member Supreme Court were hit with US visa restrictions. The list includes Justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lúcia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes.
Trump has condemned the legal proceedings against Jair Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt, a phrase he frequently uses to describe investigations into his own conduct, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter issued last week, Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports starting August 1, opening the message with sharp criticism of Bolsonaro’s trial.
Bolsonaro is currently facing trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to prevent President Lula from assuming office in January 2023.
While the former president denies orchestrating an attempt to overthrow the government, he has admitted to participating in meetings that sought to reverse the results of the 2022 election.
