Legal aid resources in Brazil: A guide for journalists facing legal action
For a journalist facing criminal or civil lawsuits in retaliation for their reporting, having access to relevant legal advice and resources to finance their legal representation can mean the difference between a prison sentence and freedom, censorship and the free flow of information, being economically suffocated or having the ability to continue reporting. In recent…
At least 40 journalists targeted amid Brazil capital riot and aftermath
Rio de Janeiro, January 13, 2023 – Brazilian authorities must investigate all attacks on journalists covering the January 8 riots at the country’s capital and their aftermath, and adopt concrete measures to protect members of the press and reduce widespread hostility against the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 8, thousands…
Bolsonaro supporters attack, harass journalists while storming Brazil government buildings
Rio de Janeiro, January 9, 2023 – In response to attacks on members of the press by supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed the country’s Congress, Federal Supreme Court, and presidential offices Sunday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “During this critical time for Brazilian democracy, journalists…
CPJ joins letter calling on incoming Brazilian government to address press freedom concerns
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined this week eight civil society groups and press freedom organizations in a letter to the communications working group of the Brazilian transitional government, urging the incoming federal administration to adopt measures to protect press freedom and the safety of journalists. In a meeting with representatives of the working group…
Headquarters of news website Rondoniaovivo shot multiple times in northern Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, November 17, 2022—Authorities in the northern Brazilian state of Rondônia must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the shooting attack on Rondoniaovivo’s headquarters and adopt all necessary measures to ensure the outlet’s staff can report safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Around 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, November 12, an…
CPJ welcomes convictions in 2012 murder of Brazilian sports journalist Valério Luiz de Oliveira
Rio de Janeiro, November 10, 2022 – A Goiás state court jury in Brazil on Wednesday convicted and sentenced four men in connection with the 2012 murder of Brazilian sports journalist Valério Luiz de Oliveira, according to reports and statements by the court and prosecutor’s office. After a three-day jury trial, Maurício Borges Sampaio was…
Brazilian state assembly investigates journalists, outlets reporting on abortion case
Rio de Janeiro, October 24, 2022 – The state assembly in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina must immediately drop its investigation into independent investigative outlet The Intercept Brasil and independent online outlet Portal Catarinas and respect the confidentiality of journalistic sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On October 11, Santa Catarina’s…
CPJ submits report on Brazil to United Nations Universal Periodic Review
Brazil’s human rights record is under review by the United Nations Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This U.N. mechanism is a peer-review process that surveys the human rights performance of member states, monitoring progress from previous review cycles, and presents a list of recommendations on how a country can better fulfill…
Press freedom groups call for Brazilian presidential candidates to ensure safety of journalists covering elections
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 10 other civil society groups and press freedom organizations this week in a letter to all Brazilian presidential candidates, urging them, their political parties, and parties’ coalitions to commit to ensuring that journalists can report safely and freely during upcoming elections in Brazil. In the letter, the organizations highlighted…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the Amazon basin
The June 2022 disappearance and killing of British journalist Dom Philips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira highlighted the safety risks journalists face while reporting from the Amazon region. Phillips and Pereira went missing on the morning of June 5, 2022 while traveling by boat along the Itaquaí River, where Phillips was reporting on a book on the…