MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil: Another investigation against Bolsonaro launched

The case was prompted by a request from Justice Minister Lewandowski

Brazilian prosecutors opened yet another investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro - already under house arrest and on trial for various cases - for his alleged involvement in sending a message associating President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with human rights violations perpetrated by the Assad regime in Syria

The Public Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT) acquiesced to a request from Justice and Public Security Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, who on July 7 called on the Federal Police (PF) to investigate possible crimes committed against Lula's honor, “in addition to any related crimes.”

The motivation for the proceedings stemmed from an anonymous complaint received by the Ministry, according to which Bolsonaro allegedly disseminated an image via the WhatsApp messaging app linking Lula to former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and the execution of LGBTQIA+ people.

Based on a review of jurisdiction, Bolsonaro's case was sent by the Federal Police to the Public Prosecutor's Office, which decided to open an investigation to be conducted by the Civil Police of the Federal District, under the supervision of the 5th Criminal Court of Brasília. (Source: Agencia Brasil)