"Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into whether right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro issued defamatory statements about his election rival, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva."
"Bolsonaro responded to news of the United States abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with insinuations linking Lula to crimes, stating, 'Lula will be exposed.'"
"There are limitations to the freedom of speech in Brazil, and under its penal code, defamation can be a criminal offense, especially against presidents or heads of state."
"Bolsonaro's spokesperson denounced the probe as a violation of his rights, claiming he only reported facts and there was no direct criminal accusation against Lula."
The investigation focuses on whether Bolsonaro defamed President Lula by associating him with drug trafficking. The Supreme Court has authorized a probe into Bolsonaro's statements made in January. Bolsonaro insinuated Lula's involvement in crimes following news about Maduro's abduction. Defamation is a criminal offense in Brazil, with potential heightened penalties for statements against heads of state. Bolsonaro's spokesperson claims the investigation violates his rights, asserting that he only reported facts about Maduro's crimes. Bolsonaro and Lula are in a tight race for the presidency ahead of the October elections.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]