Bolsonaro is definitively convicted of moral damages to a journalist – 10/20/2023 – Power

Former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) must pay compensation of R$50,000 for collective moral damage after an action by the São Paulo Journalists Union was concluded — in other words, the process has become final and cannot be appealed.

What happened

The value of R$50,000 was determined when the case went through the 2nd instance, which maintained the original conviction and reduced the value of the compensation, originally R$100,000. The decision was taken in the 4th Chamber of Private Law of the Court of Justice of SP in May 2023

As Bolsonaro did not appeal, the action became final.

The action was originally filed in 2021 by the Union, which at the time demanded an end to offenses against press professionals.

The compensation amount will be donated to the State Fund for the Defense of Diffuse Rights.

Remember the case

In the first instance sentence, judge Tamara Hochgreb Matos, from the 24th Civil Court of São Paulo, considered that Bolsonaro abused the right to freedom of expression to offend press professionals

The offenses occurred “in a manner absolutely incompatible with the dignity of the office” of president, “under the allegation that this freedom would grant him, as a legal and necessary instrument for the free exercise of the personal freedom of the Head of the Federal Executive Power, a true safe conduct for express their opinions, offenses and aggressions”, argued the judge.

“Such aggressions and threats coming from the defendant, who is nothing less than the head of the State, have enormous repercussions on his supporters, and have contributed to the virtual and even physical attacks that journalists have suffered throughout Brazil, embarrassing them in the exercise of press freedom, which is one of the pillars of democracy”, said Matos.

The judge also mentioned Bolsonaro’s homophobic and misogynistic statements against journalists, such as that “women can only get a scoop if they seduce someone”, as well as “xenophobic comments, vulgar and profanity expressions”, and pointed out that the then president threatened journalists and encouraged his supporters to attack them.

For the statement on women journalists, addressed to the journalist from sheet S.Paulo Patrícia Campos Mello, Bolsonaro also lost in court. He was ordered to compensate the reporter R$35,000.