Opposition sees PGR request on Bolsonaro as a threat to freedom of expression

The request by the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) for social media platforms to send a list with the identification of all followers of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) has caused great concern not only in his defense, but also in opposition politicians, allies and in the account users themselves.

This Monday (17), the deputy prosecutor of the Republic, Carlos Frederico Santos, determined that the companies that own the platforms Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, TikTok and LinkedIn forward files with all the data of the followers – and there are not a few, ranging from 426 thousand to 25.3 million.

Senator Jorge Seif Junior (PL-SC), vice-leader of the party in the Senate, says that the PGR’s request is “another absurdity, yet another blow to freedom of expression and Brazilian democracy”.

The opinion is similar to that of fellow member Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), leader of the party in the house, who said that the PGR “attacks and tramples on itself” with the request. He classified the request as an “inexplicable persecutory rage, a clear threat to freedom of expression”.

For federal deputy Delegado Ramagem (PL-RJ), there is no “foundation, effectiveness or logic”, and that the request is “pure persecution of a specific political segment”.

“Precisely against those who defend freedom, family and security for our country. It is relative democracy in practice, clear authoritarianism in progress in Brazil”, he said in reference to the statement by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) made at the end of June in which he considers the concept of democracy “relative” when defending the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

authoritarianism

The indication of authoritarianism is also cited by deputy Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP), who classified the request as persecution. “We will not tolerate state persecution against Brazilian citizens,” he said.

A similar tone was adopted by Senator Sérgio Moro (Podemos-PR), who considered the request a “violation of the privacy of millions of Brazilians”, in addition to being “unjustifiable” and “impractical”.

“The PGR asking for data on Bolsonaro’s millions of followers has only one objective, to frighten those who do not support the left-wing dictatorial regime headed by the ex-convict. The strategy to stifle the opposition is clear: while Lule travels the world and ‘preaches peace’ and ‘dialogue’, his subordinates use Justice to persecute everyone who disagrees with the regime in the slightest. We already live in a dictatorship”, shot federal deputy Maurício Marcon (Podemos-RS), deputy leader of the opposition.

The reaction to the PGR’s request had repercussions on the social networks themselves, with the #EuSigoBolsonaro reaching more than 62,000 posts on Twitter.

Among the networks cited by the prosecution, Bolsonaro has around 15 million followers on Facebook; 25.3 million on Instagram; 11.4 million on Twitter; 6.47 million on YouTube; 5.5 million on TikTok; and 426k on LinkedIn.

Concern

This Tuesday (18), the former president’s defense said that the PGE’s request causes “species and great concern with the exercise of freedom of thought and opinion”.

“Such information has no logical connection with the fact under investigation – about which the president has already made statements, clarifying all the circumstances –, being an unacceptable and absurd attempt at political monitoring,” he said in a statement.

The lawyers reiterated that the former president “never incited, induced or took part in any of the acts that took place in Praça dos Três Poderes, on 01/08, in relation to which he made or insists on taking a dissenting position”.

In the petition to the STF, the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, Carlos Frederico Santos, asks that social networks “indicate the possible instigation of violent acts against the Democratic State of Law”. He also asked that the video posted and removed by Bolsonaro on his Facebook profile be retrieved by the company Meta and attached to the inquiry.

Santos pointed out that, as the video was posted after the anti-democratic acts of January 8, it is not possible to speak of incitement to invade the buildings of the Three Powers, however, “the object under analysis may configure, in isolation, the commission of other crimes by Jair Messias Bolsonaro, notwithstanding the continuation of investigations in Inquiry 4,921 to investigate possible conduct that constitutes incitement or participation in anti-democratic acts ”, informed the PGR.