Brazil’s Supreme Court denounces Bolsonaro for demanding health regulator’s names

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – STF Justice Ricardo Lewandowski forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) a criminal complaint lodged with the Court by deputy Reginaldo Lázaro de Oliveira Lopes (PT-MG), accusing President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) of incitement to commit crimes against ANVISA employees.

In a standard procedure and before analyzing the substance of the criminal notice, Lewandowski stated in his decision that the case should be forwarded to the PGR, considering that the Prosecutor’s Office is the body in charge of prosecution.

The deputy requested that the Supreme Court investigate Bolsonaro for having encouraged crimes against ANVISA’s employees and directors, particularly after having proposed the disclosure of the names of technicians who advocated the vaccination of children against Covid-19, scientifically proven to be effective and safe.

According to the deputy, Bolsonaro’s statements supporting the disclosure of employees’ names “for the whole world to know” have “intent in causing the ensuing consequences, that is, the increase in the number of threats of violence against the agency’s members.”

After Bolsonaro’s statements, ANVISA’s directors and employees began receiving e-mails with death threats, which are currently under investigation by the Federal Police.

ANVISA president Antonio Barra Torres and the agency’s 4 board members released a note repudiating the President’s statements. Later, the agency released the technical studies supporting its decision.

Prosecutor General Augusto Aras said on December 19 he had ordered “measures to be taken” to “ensure the protection” of ANVISA’s directors after its president, Antonio Barra Torres, denounced threats.

It will be up to Aras to open a potential investigation into the President, for incitement to commit a crime, as requested by the leftist deputy.

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