Europe and U.S. Join Forces Against Brazilian Judge Over Misconduct and Overreach Allegations

For the first time, politicians from Europe and the United States are joining forces to pressure a top judge in Brazil, a country not used to such coordinated international action against its judiciary.

The story centers on Alexandre de Moraes, a Justice of Brazil’s Supreme Court, who faces accusations from both sides of the Atlantic of overstepping his powers during legal actions against former President Jair Bolsonaro.

On July 30, 2025, sixteen Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), mainly from nationalist political parties in Poland, Spain, France, Portugal, and Greece, called for European Union sanctions against Moraes.

This formal appeal came hours after the United States imposed its own sanctions, including freezing Moraes’ U.S. assets and banning him from entering the country.

American officials used a law meant for serious human rights or corruption cases to justify these actions, citing arbitrary detentions, restrictions on speech, and political bias in trials.

The European parliamentarians, although a small group (just 2% of the full Parliament), represent parties that together hold over 20% of seats—giving their demand some real weight.

Judicial Power and Political Conflict

They argue that Moraes acts as investigator, prosecutor, and judge, especially in high-profile cases against political figures, and claim his actions threaten freedom of speech and fair legal process.

The story goes beyond politics and hits at business. Soon after the U.S. sanctions, the U.S. government sharply increased tariffs on Brazilian exports, with new rates reaching 50%.

This puts major pressure on Brazilian agriculture and commodity sectors, which depend heavily on U.S. markets. The EU is now considering similar moves. President Lula da Silva and other officials immediately condemned the foreign pressure as an attack on Brazil’s sovereignty.

What’s behind these actions? Years of rising criticism inside and outside Brazil about the power of judges like Moraes, especially when social media bans, asset freezes, and criticism of the government are involved.

Political allies of Bolsonaro, including his son Eduardo, have coordinated with European and American lawmakers to amplify and internationalize their complaints, turning a national legal dispute into a global diplomatic incident.