Us sanctions Brazil's Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro
'De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions – including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,' US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. The Treasury cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuse and corrupt officials, as its authority to issue the sanctions. The decision orders the freezing of any assets or property de Moraes may have in the US. Brazil's Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wednesday's announcement follows the US State Department's announcement of visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, including de Moraes, on July 18. It also comes after US President Donald Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imported goods that is set to come into effect on Friday. In a letter announcing the tariff, Trump explicitly linked the import tax to what he called the 'witch hunt' trial of Bolsonaro currently underway in Brazil. Days later, Bolsonaro was ordered to wear an ankle monitor after being deemed a flight risk.
Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, celebrated the Treasury's announcement on X, calling it a 'historic milestone' and a 'warning that abuses of authority now have global consequences.' Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the US in March and is under investigation for allegedly working with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
an hour ago
- Saudi Gazette
Palestine Red Crescent says Israeli strike on Gaza HQ kills worker, injures three
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israeli forces on Sunday of striking its headquarters in southern Gaza, killing one worker and wounding three others. In a statement, the humanitarian group said the early morning attack on its Khan Younis facility sparked a fire in the building, which is 'well known' to the Israeli military and 'clearly marked with the protective red emblem.' It called the strike 'deliberate' and renewed its appeal for accountability and protection of humanitarian and medical staff. The PRCS identified the slain worker as Omar Isleem and said two other staff members were injured, along with a civilian who was attempting to put out the fire. Images shared by the group showed heavy structural damage, debris-filled offices and large bloodstains. When asked about the incident, the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC it had 'no knowledge about neither artillery nor any air strikes' targeting the facility. The attack comes as Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens. UN figures indicate that at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed since late May while trying to access food, most near Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites. Israel disputes the UN's figures and accuses Hamas of fomenting chaos at the aid centres, while denying that its forces intentionally target civilians. Egyptian state media reported Sunday that two fuel trucks were waiting to enter Gaza amid ongoing shortages that have crippled hospitals and aid operations. The Hamas-run health ministry says 175 people, including 93 children, have died from malnutrition. Israel launched its Gaza campaign after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's health ministry. — BBC
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas: Mediators Relayed ‘Discouraging' Israeli Response to Truce Proposal
A Hamas official said on Friday that Israel's response to the group's latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza was 'discouraging,' casting further doubt on the prospect of a breakthrough in long-stalled truce talks. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said mediators had recently conveyed a verbal Israeli reply that maintained hardline positions rejected by the Palestinian faction. 'Israel is still insisting on enforcing the US-proposed aid mechanism, which Palestinians have already rejected, and on keeping its military positions inside the Gaza Strip,' the official said, adding that the response 'indicates there is no genuine intention to end the war.' A source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday that Israel had issued a reply on Wednesday to Hamas' latest amendments to a proposed deal involving a 60-day truce and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. After Hamas responded to the proposal, the United States and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Doha last week, suspending talks that had resumed on July 6. The breakdown was accompanied by a flurry of mutual accusations between Hamas, Washington, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a separate development, an Egyptian source familiar with the talks told Asharq Al-Awsat that the negotiations have been in crisis since the Israeli and US delegations left for consultations more than a week ago. 'Each side remains entrenched in its conditions, and none is showing flexibility that would suggest a breakthrough is near,' the source said, adding that Washington currently appears more focused on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza than on reviving negotiations. 'Even if talks resume under pressure, Israel's intention to maintain its military presence in parts of the Strip suggests the negotiations may once again lead nowhere,' the source warned. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff visited an aid distribution center in Gaza on Friday, according to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who shared the news on X. The White House said Witkoff travelled to the enclave to inspect food delivery operations and finalize a plan to speed up humanitarian aid flows. Following their visit, the special envoy and ambassador will brief the president directly to secure approval of a final plan for distributing food and aid across the region, said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. US outlet Axios reported on Friday that President Donald Trump had said he was working on a plan to feed people in Gaza. On Thursday, Trump also urged Hamas to surrender, describing it as the fastest way to end the crisis.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Putin explains Trump's frustrations away by saying disappointments in peace talks come from ‘excessive expectations'
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favor, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington. US President Donald Trump has said he will impose new sanctions on Moscow and countries that buy its energy exports — of which the biggest are China and India — unless Russia moves by August 8 to end the 3-1/2 year war. He has expressed mounting frustration with Putin, accusing him of 'bullshit' and describing Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as 'disgusting.' Putin, without referring to the Trump deadline, said three sessions of peace talks with Ukraine had yielded some positive results, and Russia was expecting negotiations to continue. 'As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule,' he said. 'But in order to approach the issue peacefully, it is necessary to conduct detailed conversations. And not in public, but this must be done calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process.' He said Russian troops were attacking Ukraine along the entire front line and that the momentum was in their favor, citing the announcement by his Defense Ministry on Thursday that Moscow's forces had captured the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar after a 16-month battle. Ukraine denied that Chasiv Yar is under full Russian control. Ukraine for months has been urging an immediate ceasefire but Russia says it wants a final and durable settlement, not a pause. Since the peace talks began in Istanbul in May, it has conducted some of its heaviest air strikes of the war, especially on the capital Kyiv. The Ukrainian government has said the Russian negotiators do not have the mandate to take significant decisions and President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Putin to meet him for talks. 'We understand who makes the decisions in Russia and who must end this war. The whole world understands this too,' Zelensky said on Friday on X, reiterating his call for direct talks between him and Putin. 'The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia's readiness.' Russia says a leaders' meeting could only take place to set the seal on agreements reached by negotiators. Ukraine and its European allies have frequently said they do not believe Putin is really interested in peace and have accused him of stalling, which the Kremlin denies. 'I will repeat once again, we need a long and lasting peace on good foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and ensure the security of both countries,' Putin said, adding that this was also a question of European security. Putin was speaking alongside his ally Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, at talks on an island in Lake Ladoga that is the site of a famous Russian monastery. Russian TV earlier showed the two men greeting monks at the Valaam Monastery, where they have met several times before, and holding candles during the chanting of prayers.
