We issued the following statement today in response to yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil’s highest court, rejecting an appeal from the daily O Estado de São Paulo and its Web site Estadão in a case of censorship. In July, a regional court barred both outlets from publishing reports on a corruption scandal involving the son of Senator and former Brazilian President José Sarney. O Estado de São Paulo said it will appeal the decision…
“We are dismayed by the Supreme Federal Tribunal ruling that follows an alarming pattern of judicial censorship in Brazil barring media from covering important public issues,” said CPJ Senior Program Coordinator for the Americas Carlos Lauría. “O Estado de São Paulo and Estadão have the right to report on an issue which is clearly a matter of public interest. We urge the Supreme Federal Tribunal to reconsider its decision on appeal and allow the media outlets to report freely.”