Brazilian journalist fined, forced to remove pro-Palestine posts
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The Israeli lobby in Brazil is calling for Brazilian journalist Breno Altman to not only be fined but also have his social media accounts demonetized.
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Brazilian Pro-Palestine journalist Breno Altman during a discussion panel (Social media)
A Brazilian court has ordered acclaimed journalist Breno Altman, who has repeatedly condemned the Israeli war on Gaza, to pay a fine and remove many social media remarks.
Judge Paulo Bernardi Baccarat of the Court of Justice of São Paulo ordered Opera Mundi's founder to pay a fine of 20,000 Brazilian reals ($3,407) for collective moral damages and erase five alleged "anti-Semitic" postings.
Altman is currently facing several lawsuits in São Paulo courts for his criticism of the Israeli regime.
In this case, the judge evaluated a censorship and compensation request submitted by the Brazilian Israelite Confederation (CONIB), the Israeli lobby in Brazil.
CONIB requested 80 thousand reals in compensation, the demonetization of Altman's social media presence, and the payment of a minimum wage to all Israelis in Brazil.
It also demanded that Altman be barred from posting articles concerning the war on Gaza, claiming that his actions went beyond the bounds of free expression and that the journalist's posts might encourage hatred toward Jews and "Israel".
Baccarat, on the other hand, found that there was no cause to compensate or erase the majority of the posts, as they were political remarks rather than "anti-Semitic" ones.
The judge deemed statements describing Israeli occupation forces (IOF) as "rats" to be antisemitic but denied the proposal for compensation.
Altman's defense attorneys have announced they plan on appealing the ruling.
They say their goal is to "demonstrate the absolute legality of all posts, supported by constitutional rights that ensure freedom of expression and thought."
Altman was recently jailed for 3 months for insulting Alexandre Schwartsman, a Brazilian economist and former Director of International Affairs at the Central Bank of Brazil, and André Lajst, President of the pro-"Israel" organization StandWithUs Brazil.
