WASHINGTON, July 30 (KUNA) -- The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed on Wednesday sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) justice Alexandre de Moraes (de Moraes) for "his position to authorize arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppress freedom of expression." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Justice Moraes committed "serious human rights abuses," including arbitrary detention involving flagrant denials of fair trial guarantees and infringing on the freedom of expression.
"Moraes abused his position by authorizing unjust pre-trial detentions and undermining freedom of expression," he affirmed in a press release. "Moraes further abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics through the issuance of secret orders compelling online platforms, including US social media companies, to ban the accounts of individuals for posting protected speech.
"The United States will use all appropriate and effective diplomatic, political, and legal instruments to protect the speech of Americans from foreign malign actors who would seek to undermine it," Secretary Rubio pledged.
On his part, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said, "Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies." "De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions-including against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
"Today's action makes clear that Treasury will continue to hold accountable those who threaten U.S. interests and the freedoms of our citizens," Bessent added.
Today's action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse around the world.
It follows the US Department of State's revocation of de Moraes's visa and those of his immediate family members on July 18, 2025, for their complicity in aiding and abetting de Moraes' unlawful censorship campaign against US persons on US soil. (end) rsr.gb