Overview
- The TJ-DFT's 11th Civil Court rejected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's civil action and request to remove the YouTube video.
- Judge Paulo Cerqueira Campos found that Luís Ernesto Lacombe used religious metaphor to criticize government policies rather than to injure or defame.
- The decision, signed on February 19, obliges Lula to pay R$9,395 in court costs and the journalist's attorney fees.
- The Advocacia-Geral da União argued the video constituted offensive speech that harmed the president's dignity and could amount to injúria.
- The Ministério Público Federal had previously recommended archiving the inquiry as political criticism, and Lula may still appeal the ruling.