Parliamentarians defend journalist censored in CPMI on January 8

The president of the CPMI on January 8th, Arthur Maia (União-BA), began the meeting this Tuesday (29th), clarifying the act signed by him that censures the journalists who accompany the commission by prohibiting “the capture of images third-party private content without authorization”.

The decision came after the photographer from the Brazilian Communication Company (EBC), Lula Marques, was disqualified from accompanying the commission’s activities for posting a photo of Senator Jorge Seif’s (PL-SC) cell phone screen on his social networks. In the record, it is possible to see the conversation between the senator and a journalist about the search and seizure warrant for Jair Renan Bolsonaro.

After a provocation by federal deputy Paulo Magalhães (PSD-RJ) requesting reconsideration of the journalist’s disqualification, Maia suggested a possible retraction. “If that journalist recants before the commission and undertakes not to commit this type of attitude, there is no problem. Outside of that, we will maintain this position”, pointed out Maia.

The president of the CPMI excluded from the act the item that prevented the press accredited by the commission from disclosing “private information or information classified as confidential by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry without express authorization”. Maia considered that it is not always possible to know the origin of the disclosure of confidential documents by the press.

Senator Jorge Seif, the subject of the published photo, asked peers to do an “empathy exercise”. “If his cell phone was photographed and a conversation between him and an advisor was exposed. What would your attitude be? I actually want to congratulate you sir [deputado Arthur Maia] for the decision”.

For senator Esperidião Amin (PP-SC), the parliamentarians themselves should be careful and avoid exposure. “This is the job of the journalist, we have to take care of ourselves. This is not an invasion of privacy. I’m the one exposing my privacy when I’m making a movie or passing messages without being careful”, reiterated Amin. Deputy Rogério Correia (PT-MG) and Deputy Jandira Feghali (PCdoB-RJ) were also favorable to the press.