Investigation into Weintraub Referred to Lower Court

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Celso de Mello referred the inquiry investigating ex-Minister of Education Abraham Weintraub for racist remarks against the Chinese to the federal district court.

Weintraub lost his right to a higher court hear charges against him after he ceased to be a federal cabinet minister.

Risking being targeted by the Federal Police, the ex-Minister traveled to the United States one day before his official dismissal by President Jair Bolsonaro, on Saturday, June 20th.

He boarded a flight to Miami on the same day Senator Fabiano Contarato (REDE-ES) filed a request with the STF to seize his passport in order to prevent him from leaving Brazil.

Members of the judiciary were saying behind the scenes that they believed Weintraub could be arrested, which was worrying the Minister and government allies.

Weintraub was a target of the fake news inquiry, which is currently underway in the STF, and is also accused of racism for having posted a comment on China alleging the Asian country was responsible for the novel coronavirus pandemic.

There was no legal restriction preventing the ex-Minister from leaving Brazil.

Earlier last month, while still in office, the ex-Minister remained silent during his deposition to the Federal Police about the case. Weintraub chose to deliver his statement in writing. He was greeted at the Federal Police headquarters by Bolsonarists who supported him.

In his decision to refer the case to the lower court, Celso de Mello made a point of emphasizing that STF case law allows for the prosecution of racism targeting foreigners.

“It is important to note, in relation to the matter under examination, the existence of both a precedent set by this Supreme Court in terms of general repercussion, and a very recent judgment concerning the alleged occurrence of ‘discrimination and prejudice against the Jewish people’ handed down by the Third Panel of the Superior Court of Justice,” he said.

In the post that prompted the investigation, the ex-Minister used the comic strip character ‘Cebolinha’ (who is unable to pronounce the letter ‘r’), of ‘Turma da Mônica’, to mock China.

“Geopolitically, who can get out of this woLd cLisis, in Lelative teLms? Who are BLasil’s allies in Cebolinha’s infallible plan to dominate the woLd?”, wrote the then member of President Bolsonaro’s cabinet, exchanging the letter “r” for “l”, as in Mauricio de Sousa’s creation.

In announcing his departure from the Ministry of Education and Culture, alongside Bolsonaro in a video also broadcast on social media, Weintraub said he would leave the country to take up a position at the World Bank.

On social media, he said he was the target of threats. “I am leaving Brazil as soon as possible (within a few days),” wrote the Minister, and on the very next day he boarded a flight to the United States.