A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has announced that Jair Bolsonaro’s role in the storming of government buildings by supporters of the former president on Sunday will be investigated. The Brazilian prosecutor had asked for it on Friday.
“Public figures who cowardly continue to conspire against democracy and seek to create an exceptional position will be held accountable,” Judge Alexandre de Moraes said in his statement.
Prosecutors are particularly interested in a video Bolsonaro posted on Facebook questioning the legality of the presidential election. The video was not released until after the assault and has since been removed, but prosecutors say warrants an investigation into his actions before the assault.
De Moraes asked Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to keep the video and hand it over to the court. He also wants to know how many people viewed the video before it was removed. The judge had already conducted investigations into the spread of fake news during the 2018 presidential election, won by Bolsonaro, and is considered an opponent of the former president.
Thousands of supporters of the right-wing populist ex-president stormed the parliament building, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in Brasilia on Sunday, causing extensive damage. The stormtroopers refuse to acknowledge Bolsonaro’s electoral defeat to his left-wing rival Luiz Inácio da Silva.
Arrest warrant
The Supreme Court recently issued an arrest warrant for Bolsonaro’s justice minister Anderson Torres. He was responsible for the security of government buildings and police actions. Both Bolsonaro and Torres are in the United States.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
