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Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) has begun a landmark trial that could establish the country’s first criminal jurisprudence for disinformation targeting the electoral system. The case involves seven defendants accused of being part of a “disinformation unit” that disseminated fake news about Brazil’s electronic voting machines as part of a plot to overturn the 2022 election results. The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) has requested convictions, arguing the group “manufactured and disseminated false narratives against the electoral process” to create the social instability necessary for an institutional rupture.
The defendants, who include active and former military personnel, have pleaded not guilty. In their defense, they claim a lack of evidence, argue that their actions were of a technical nature, and assert that the accusations are based on isolated incidents or inferences. Legal experts suggest a conviction would set a major precedent, establishing that propagating false electoral information without proof constitutes a criminal attack on the democratic state. This trial follows a separate case that convicted the central figures of the attempted coup, where the use of fake news was noted as part of the plan.
