Rio court convicts lawyer of racism against Jews — Jerusalem Post
A court in Rio de Janeiro found Brazilian lawyer Eriberto de Miranda Jordão Filho guilty of racism after he called for Jews to be removed from leadership positions at the Brazilian Institute of Lawyers and for the Jewish Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro to be shut down. As reported by the Jerusalem Post, he was sentenced to two years in prison under an open regime, but the court replaced the sentence with community service.
Demands to remove Jews
The case is connected to an institute meeting on March 20, 2024, which was streamed on YouTube. During it, Jordão Filho read out a letter demanding the removal of all Jews — both Zionists and non-Zionists — from leadership and committee chair positions. He said that religious Jews had no place in this professional legal organization and demanded their dismissal because of their religious affiliation.
At the same time, the lawyer called for the Jewish Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro to be shut down. The federation had previously filed a complaint against him with the Brazilian Bar Association over other antisemitic remarks. His statements sparked outrage at the institute and within Brazil's Jewish community.
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Court ruling and restrictions
The Rio de Janeiro State Prosecutor's Office charged Jordão Filho with racism on April 16, 2024. Prosecutor Alexandre Themistocles concluded that the lawyer's statements went beyond political criticism and constituted incitement to discrimination and harm against Jews because of their religion and origin.
Judge Paulo Roberto Sampaio Jangutta ruled that the lawyer had gone beyond permissible political criticism of Israel by attributing negative traits to Jews and demanding their exclusion from a professional institution because of their identity. The court also imposed a fine of 10 daily rates and ordered him to pay 3,000 Brazilian reals in compensation for collective moral damages.
In addition, Jordão Filho must report to court monthly, refrain from contacting Jewish members of the institute, and limit online posts mentioning Jews. The lawyer said he would appeal the verdict.
