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Brazil’s Supreme Court roiled by dispute between justices

From Al Jazeera · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Brazil’s Supreme Court is weighing investigations into Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Andre Mendonca after they accused each other of wrongdoing.
  • Chief Justice Edson Fachin gave the attorney general five days to assess allegations against Mendonca, while the court will decide next week whether to investigate de Moraes.
  • The dispute has intensified a political fight over the prosecution and conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose supporters question the case because de Moraes oversaw it.

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court is confronting an internal dispute that has pulled two justices into a corruption scandal and sharpened the political battle over Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction.

The conflict centers on Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case that convicted the former president, and Andre Mendonca, a Bolsonaro appointee. Mendonca released a report alleging links between de Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro, a disgraced banker accused of a broad fraud scheme. De Moraes responded by accusing Mendonca of abusing his authority when he unsealed the documents.

This may be the most dramatic moment in the history of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.

· Felipe RecondoThe longtime court observer described the significance of the dispute between the justices.

Chief Justice Edson Fachin said on Friday that he would give Brazil’s attorney general five days to consider the allegations against Mendonca. The court is also scheduled to decide next week whether to investigate de Moraes. Felipe Recondo, a journalist and researcher who has followed the court for years, called it “the most dramatic moment in the history of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.”

The allegations have given Brazil’s political right new ammunition to challenge the case against Bolsonaro. The former president is under house arrest after receiving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in a coup plot. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and his far-right allies tried to overturn his 2022 election defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and disrupt the transfer of power. Supporters later attacked government buildings in Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023, allegedly hoping to provoke a military uprising.

witch hunt

· Jair BolsonaroBolsonaro’s characterization of the case against him.

Bolsonaro calls the prosecution a “witch hunt” organized by the left and has received support from prominent figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump. De Moraes has become a central target of Brazil’s far right because of his role in sensitive cases, including Bolsonaro’s, as well as his suspensions of online platforms such as Rumble and X. Trump’s Treasury Department briefly sanctioned him over those actions and his involvement in the trial.

Recondo said the court has acted as an intermediary in some of Brazil’s most intense political conflicts. “The Supreme Court can provide some balance in that game,” he said. “Remove the court from that position, and all that remains is”

The Supreme Court can provide some balance in that game.

· Felipe RecondoRecondo described the court’s role in Brazil’s political conflicts.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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