A São Paulo court on Thursday upheld on appeal the civil conviction of far-right ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his constant attacks on journalists during his term of office (2019-2022). The Court upheld a June 2022 judgment in which a court ruled in favor of the Syndicate of Professional Journalists of the State of São Paulo (SJPSP), the latter said on its website.
The SJPSP was suing Jair Bolsonaro for his "repeated offenses and attacks" against journalists, which he said constituted "systematic moral harassment against the entire profession". However, the Court halved the damages to which the former president was sentenced, to 50,000 reais (9,250 euros) against 100,000 reais awarded to the SJPSP in the first instance.
"This victory is a big step for the entire profession which, throughout Jair Bolsonaro's mandate, has suffered recurring attacks", nevertheless welcomed the union. While in power, Jair Bolsonaro constantly accused the press of spreading false news against him in order to harm him. On several occasions, he verbally attacked media and journalists, especially women. Mr. Bolsonaro's lawyers had argued during the trial that their client had not attacked the profession as a whole, but only specific individuals.
