News site The Intercept Brasil faces a controversial court ruling this week that raises concerns about freedom of expression and press freedom in Brazil. Judge Flávia Gonçalves Moraes Bruno, from the 14th Civil Court of the Judicial District of Rio de Janeiro, ordered The Intercept to remove the entire series entitled "Em nome dos pais" (In the name of parents). This series, says the site, was the result of more than a year of meticulous research, focusing on the protection and well-being of children. The court order bars access to the investigative content, which reveals the names of authorities in the Brazilian judicial system and professionals involved in the application of the so-called Parental Alienation Law.
The series of reports and the documentary in question bring to light cases in which the application of this law results in the acquittal of those accused of rape of vulnerable or domestic violence, in addition to reports of women who had their children removed and given to the alleged aggressors. The Intercept Brasil claims that this is one of the best and most complex investigations ever published by the site. The court decision to censor could set a dangerous precedent for future journalistic investigations in Brazil. The Intercept Brasil intends to challenge the decision.
"The Intercept [Brazil] was the target of an absurd judicial decision this week, which attacks freedom of expression and the press in Brazil. If the understanding adopted by this decision is 100% applied, it will be impossible to do serious journalism in the country and it will open an extremely dangerous precedent, which would overturn the most important journalistic scoops of recent years. And this is probably just the beginning of a long legal battle that we intend to fight, going all the way to the Federal Supreme Court if necessary," the outlet said in a statement published on its site.
