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The creator of the Global Magnitsky Act, British businessman William Browder, has stated that the U.S. government’s application of the law against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court minister Alexandre de Moraes is a “distortion and abuse.” Browder, who spearheaded the legislation to sanction severe human rights violators and kleptocrats, believes the law is being used for political purposes rather than its intended function.
The sanctions against Moraes, announced by the Trump administration, are justified by allegations of “oppressive censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized processes.” However, Browder argues that this is the first time he has witnessed the law being misused in this way, warning that such a political application compromises its credibility in legitimate cases. The move has sparked a diplomatic crisis, with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva calling it an “unacceptable interference in the Brazilian judiciary.”
The Global Magnitsky Act, which allows for the freezing of assets and travel bans, was created in response to the death of Browder’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, in a Russian prison. The sanctions against Moraes have drawn criticism from human rights groups, including Transparency International, who have highlighted the political nature of the decision and the double standard in its application. They argue that using the law to target a judge overseeing investigations into political allies undermines its core principles and could destabilize Brazil’s democracy.
Sources:
U.S. sanctions Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes based on the Magnitsky Act – Brasil de Fato
