Journalist Esmael Morais’ blog is back online after being shut down more than two months ago at the request of Beto Richa, the governor of Paraná state. However, the journalist is still barred from discussing the politician or his family, Folha de S. Paulo reports.
The blog was offline for 75 days due to Richa’s objection to a video posted during the 2010 elections comparing the governor to Adolf Hitler. In May, Morais side-stepped censors by launching a column that was distributed via social media.
The decision to put the site back online was made by the blogger’s lawyer, who interpreted the court injunction as only applying to content related to Richa, Folha explains.
In his first post after the re-launch, Morais thanked bloggers, lawyers, social movement leaders, and political allies for their support and said that the injunction was still under appeal.
A series of court cases against Brazilian media outlets has led press freedom groups to speak out against persistent “judicial censorship.” For more examples of censorship during Brazil’s 2010 electoral campaign, see this Knight Center map on the topic.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
