Flávia Cordeiro Magalhães is a Brazilian with American citizenship. She has lived in Pompano Beach, a city near Miami, for 22 years. There, Flávia married and had her only son, now 18 years old. She reports that her X account was blocked in Brazil by order of Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
The judicial decision was motivated by a publication made on American soil in 2022. Without being officially notified, Flávia continued posting on social media, which led to the issuance of her preventive arrest warrant, under the allegation of non-compliance with a judicial order. "In December 2023, when entering Brazil through Recife Airport with my American passport, I was informed that my Brazilian passport was under restriction," she told Oeste.
Moraes interpreted that Flávia Magalhães used a fake passport to enter Brazil
Despite her entry and exit having occurred legally, Moraes interpreted the situation as use of a false document, aggravating her judicial situation. "I was informed that, in February 2024, the STF decreed my preventive arrest," said the Brazilian.
She is represented in Brazil by attorney Paulo Faria, the same defender of former congressman Daniel Silveira. The defense requested access to the case files, but the requests were repeatedly denied. "I contested the legality of the action," he said. "I argued that she was never notified about any judicial decision, but none of this had any effect."
Paulo Faria states that the arbitrariness of his client's case doesn't stop there. "The arrest warrant includes her name on both her American and Brazilian passports," he said. "The judicial decision raises questions about American sovereignty, as a United States citizen is being persecuted on foreign soil for expressing political opinions."
US judiciary establishes ban on Moraes entering the US
This Wednesday, the 26th, US congressmen discussed imposing sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes. There are currently three measures against the magistrate under discussion in the US Congress.
One of them was approved this Wednesday by the Judiciary Committee. The proposal establishes a ban on Moraes entering the US and is called "No Censor on Our Shores Act." The text will still need to pass through the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed by the White House.
The accusation of using a false document is contested by official documentation. Federal Police records prove that Flávia entered and left Brazil legally. The arrest warrant suggests that the publication on X, on American soil, was considered a crime by Brazilian authorities — a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression.
Defense seeks revocation of arrest and access to case files
The defense seeks revocation of the arrest and access to the case files. The American embassy is monitoring the case. US lawmakers are considering including Flávia's case in debates about freedom of expression and political persecution.
Paulo Faria argues that the continuation of preventive detention without access to the case files reinforces suspicions that the decision has political motivation. "The defense continues to press for a review of the arrest and for transparency in the process, while the opposition to the Brazilian government denounces censorship and persecution of dissenting voices," he concluded.
Crédito: Revista Oeste
