U.S. Sanctions Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Amid Tensions Over Bolsonaro Trial

 Washington, D.C., July 31 — The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing alleged human rights violations and suppression of free expression in connection with the ongoing trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The move marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between Washington and Brasília.

Justice Moraes, who is presiding over the criminal proceedings against Bolsonaro — accused of plotting to overturn Brazil’s 2022 presidential election — was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the U.S. government to penalize foreign officials for corruption or human rights abuses.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Moraes of “an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro.”

“Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies,” Bessent said in a statement.

The sanctions include a freeze on all U.S.-based assets held by Moraes and bar American individuals and entities from conducting business with him.

On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, claiming the measure was necessary to counter what he described as judicial overreach against his ideological ally Bolsonaro. “This is to stop the witch hunt,” Trump said in remarks at the White House.

Earlier this month, Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor, cease social media activity, and refrain from contacting foreign officials, amid allegations that the former president had sought Trump’s intervention in his trial. Bolsonaro condemned the court’s actions as politically motivated, calling Moraes a “dictator” and labeling the measures “acts of cowardice.”

There was no immediate response from Moraes or the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, but the sanctions provoked strong backlash in Brazilian political circles.

Supreme Court Justice Flavio Dino expressed solidarity with Moraes on social media, stating that his colleague was “faithfully executing his constitutional duties.” Dino emphasized that Moraes’s decisions had been reviewed and upheld by the wider court.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. actions as “arbitrary” and “unacceptable interference in national judicial affairs.” In an official statement, Lula said the U.S. sanctions represented a violation of Brazilian sovereignty and the principles of international diplomacy.

Gleisi Hoffmann, a senior member of Lula’s cabinet, echoed the condemnation, calling the move “a violent and arrogant act” and expressing “total repudiation” of what she termed Washington’s “latest absurdity.”

The U.S. also imposed visa restrictions on Justice Moraes, his family members, and unnamed court officials involved in the Bolsonaro proceedings.

Legal experts are divided on the potential impact of the sanctions. Ivar Hartmann, a law professor at São Paulo’s Insper business school, suggested the U.S. action could prompt Brazil’s Supreme Court to demonstrate resolve and independence. “It may galvanize the court to show it will not yield to international pressure,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Brazilian Trade Secretary Welber Barral noted that while the Magnitsky sanctions are typically aimed at human rights abuses, their overlap with trade policy is unusual. “It’s unclear how much the sanctions will influence tariff decisions, but it could give the Trump administration political cover for its economic measures,” he said.

The tariffs are particularly striking given that Brazil is one of the few major economies with which the U.S. runs a trade surplus, raising concerns among trade analysts about long-term implications for bilateral commerce.

As political and legal tensions deepen, observers say the fallout from these parallel judicial and economic conflicts could reshape U.S.–Brazil relations in the months ahead.