Elon Musk was direct in his criticism on Monday, stating on his X platform that Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes should face imprisonment.
“De Moraes deserves prison for his crimes,” Musk posted on X on September 2, following the decision by Brazil’s highest court to uphold a ban on the social media platform.
The temporary ban was enforced over the weekend after Musk missed a deadline to appoint a legal representative in a long-standing case. This case involved Brazil’s demand for the suspension of certain accounts allegedly linked to so-called digital militias, which were accused of disseminating misinformation and hate speech.
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After De Moraes made his ruling on Friday, a panel of judges unanimously upheld the decision on Monday.
Elon Musk has launched several attacks against De Moraes on his X platform, accusing the judge of misconduct. Musk argued that De Moraes “should be impeached for violating his oath of office” and suggested that it’s “only a matter of time before this criminal is behind bars.” He has also labeled De Moraes a “dictator.”
In earlier posts, Musk claimed, “X is the most used news source in Brazil. It is what the people want. Now, the tyrant de Voldemort is crushing the people’s right to free speech.”
In addition to these actions, the court has frozen the financial accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet provider in Brazil that Musk owns a 40% stake in.
Elon Musk’s X Shuts Down Brazilian Office Following Judge’s Threats of Arrest Over Non-Compliance with Censorship Orders
In his ruling, De Moraes mandated the complete and immediate suspension of X across Brazil, enforcing the ban until the platform adheres to all associated court directives. These include settling fines totaling 18.5 million reais (approximately $3.28 million) and appointing an official legal representative within the country.
X has accused De Moraes of demanding the appointment of a legal representative in Brazil as a strategy to facilitate potential arrests by local authorities.
As a result, tens of millions of X users in Brazil now face the challenge of finding alternative social media platforms to stay connected with the rest of the world.
