Abraji denounces judicial harassment of journalists in Brazil

The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) has denounced the use of the judicial system by lawyer Willer Tomaz to intimidate journalists and suppress public interest reporting. A survey conducted by the association identified 13 legal actions against journalistic publications over the last decade, involving lawsuits, threats prior to publication, and extrajudicial notifications demanding content removal.

Abraji noted that in several instances, Tomaz withdrew his actions after losing court decisions or failed to appear in court shortly after initiating proceedings. The association highlighted that these practices align with the definition of judicial harassment as outlined in a recent recommendation by the National Council of Justice (CNJ).

In a separate development regarding press independence, journalist Lenildo Ferreira has called for a review of the conduct of press representative entities. Speaking on Rádio Campina FM, Ferreira criticized these organizations for what he described as selective political alignment and ideological prioritization, arguing that the press must maintain independence from both government and partisan opposition to fulfill its investigative role.