Overview
- CIDH published a special assessment on Brazil’s freedom of expression on Dec. 26, led by Special Rapporteur Pedro Vaca after a February fact-finding visit.
- The report recognizes deliberate efforts to delegitimize the 2022 results and an attempted coup on Jan. 8, 2023, credits the Supreme Court’s response, and cautions against lasting concentrations of power.
- The commission urges strict limits on judicial secrecy, time-bound use of precautionary speech restrictions, and prior notification with avenues to contest orders targeting accounts or content.
- It advises against using vague notions such as “informational disorder” or “decontextualized information” to curb speech, calls for protection of journalists, backs decriminalizing desacato and honor crimes, and clarifies platform liability based on due diligence.
- The document cites the 2019 Crusoé takedown as a problematic precedent, and the Foreign Ministry’s note highlighted positive findings while omitting the full recommendations as political figures issued partisan reactions.