MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro files STF complaint against Justice De Moraes

“Our democracy and our freedom are non-negotiable,” said Bolsonaro Tuesday

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has filed a complaint against Justice Alexandre de Moraes before the very Federal Supreme Court (STF) of which the magistrate is a member for the way he has handled the case known as “digital militias” in which the head of state is under investigation for his alleged involvement in the dissemination of fake news.

Bolsonaro filed a notice-crime before the STF in which he accuses De Moraes of “abuse of authority” after “unjustifiably” extending the “digital militias” case opened in March of 2019. Moraes was also accused of having denied access to the investigation records to Bolsonaro's legal defense.

De Moraes is also to take over as Chief Justice of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) which will oversee the Oct. 2 elections during which Bolsonaro will seek a second term in office through the electronic voting system on which the head of state has repeatedly cast doubts regarding its reliability and “transparency.”

Bolsonaro has even said the TSE would be complicit in a future fraud to favor the victory of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and even suggested the armed forces carried out a parallel counting of the votes.

“We are not interested in the means that one day we may have to use, our democracy and our freedom are non-negotiable,” said Bolsonaro during a rally in the northern State of Sergipe Tuesday.

“We defend the armament for the good citizen, we understand that the firearm besides serving personal security is also the security for our national sovereignty and the guarantee that our democracy will be preserved,” Bolsonaro insisted.

Current TSE Chief Justice Edson Fachin stressed that “the world is watching the Brazilian electoral process with attention.” Brazil has to transmit to the world “a message of stability” and show that the country is no longer conniving with “authoritarian adventures,” Fachin said.