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Press Freedom Groups Seek Role in Lawsuit Against Universal Church for Judicial Harassment

From Folha de S.Paulo · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Six organizations are seeking to participate as amici curiae in a lawsuit accusing the Universal Church of judicial harassment against journalist João Paulo Cuenca.
  • The lawsuit stems from a 2020 social media post by Cuenca, which the Federal Public Ministry argues was part of an organized effort by the church to stifle press freedom.
  • The organizations argue that such harassment leads to self-censorship among journalists and impoverishes democratic debate, urging the court to hold perpetrators accountable.

Six organizations dedicated to freedom of expression and the press have requested to join a lawsuit as amici curiae, supporting the Federal Public Ministry's case against the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. The ministry accuses the church of judicial harassment against writer and journalist João Paulo Cuenca.

The Brazilian will only be free when the last Bolsonaro is hanged by the guts of the last pastor of the Universal Church.

— João Paulo CuencaThe controversial 2020 social media post that led to numerous lawsuits against the journalist.

The case originates from a 2020 social media post by Cuenca, where he wrote, "The Brazilian will only be free when the last Bolsonaro is hanged by the guts of the last pastor of the Universal Church." This statement was a paraphrase of an 18th-century quote by Jean Meslier. According to the Federal Public Ministry, the church, along with its pastors, orchestrated over a hundred lawsuits across Brazil against Cuenca to impede his defense. The church denies these allegations.

The man will only be free when the last king is hanged by the guts of the last priest.

— Jean MeslierThe original 18th-century quote that Cuenca paraphrased.

The ministry contends that this pattern of conduct encourages mass judicialization against journalists, creating a chilling effect on press freedom. It has requested the church be ordered to pay R$ 5 million in collective moral damages. The case is being heard in the 17th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro, with the regional federal court having confirmed the jurisdiction after an initial challenge.

This type of conduct encourages mass judicialization against journalists and generates an inhibitory effect on freedom of the press.

— Federal Public MinistryArguing the church's actions harm press freedom.

The organizations, including the Tornavoz Institute, Abraji, Article 19, Fenaj, the Vladimir Herzog Institute, and Reporters Without Borders, argue in their petition that judicial harassment against journalists fosters self-censorship. They believe this fear of reprisal discourages professionals from covering topics of public interest, ultimately weakening democratic discourse. The petition emphasizes that the Federal Public Ministry's action concerns not just one journalist but the collective right of society. "Holding perpetrators of judicial harassment accountable for the damages suffered by the collective is not just a reparatory measure, but also pedagogical and dissuasive," the organizations stated.

Judicial harassment against journalists generates self-censorship among professionals, who begin to fear judicial reprisals when covering topics of public interest, which impoverishes democratic debate.

— Organizations petitioning to join the caseExplaining the broader impact of judicial harassment on democracy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Folha de S.Paulo in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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