The minister must keep open in 2026. The destination of the investigation has been a cause for debate in the (Federal Supreme Court).
Moraes has indicated the need to extend the inquiry on the grounds that the political scenario should be troubled next year, with the end of () in the coup plot and the 2026 elections.
A Sheet He consulted seven Supreme Ministers, lawyers with traffic at the court and interlocutors of Moraes. The assessment is that the Court consolidates a position contrary to the end of investigations months after colleagues of Toga ask Moraes to end the investigation.
It was opened by the Supreme in the undemocratic acts. The research focuses on the emergence of a criminal organization of digital action and with separate nuclei for production, publication, financing and political use of misinformation to pay against democracy.
The scope of the investigation is similar to another Supreme Inquiry in 2019 to investigate the dissemination of fake news. The so -called fake news inquiry, however, has a scope more restricted to attacks on the Supreme and his ministers.
The object of the investigation into digital militias grew lands. He began aiming at a core of allies of then -President Jair Bolsonaro, revealing blogger connections to politicians and advisors to the Presidency of the Republic.
It was in the same inquiry that it advanced to the scammer’s investigation to prevent the inauguration of (PT) in 2022, the sale of and a.
Even Elon Musk is investigated in the digital militia inquiry. He became a target in April 2024, after refusal to comply with court orders, for possible “willful criminal instrumentalization of the social network X”.
The Supreme Ministers’ assessment of the need to maintain investigations that Miram Bolsonarists underwent changes in recent months.
The president of the Supreme Court, Minister Luis Roberto Barroso, was one of the defenders of the end of fake news and digital militias surveys. He argued that he was against the perpetuation of investigations.
“I wouldn’t know how to need a date, I wouldn’t want to commit to a date, but I think we are not far from closing because the attorney general of the republic is already receiving the material. Sheetin August 2024, about the fake news inquiry.
Four months after the statement, Barroso indicated a change of evaluation. “The inquiry is taking too long because the facts have multiplied over time,” he said.
The minister is part of a group in the Supreme who understands that inquiries are still important to curb radicalisms and attacks on the foundations of democracy.
Moraes interlocutors also point out other factors that they find relevant to the maintenance of investigations.
One is the proximity of the 2026 elections. The claim will be held under the command of Na (Superior Electoral Court). As much as members of the Supreme Court believe that the minister will not make relevant concessions for pockets, it is believed that the commitment to combat misinformation will not be the same as Moraes and.
There are also ministers who understand that Bolsonaro’s eventual conviction for a coup attempt can cause an effervescence of radical movements, with attacks on the Supreme in the dispute over the Bolsanist estate.
The fact that targets of Supreme investigations are on the run, such as Allan dos Santos and Oswaldo Eustáquio, is also pointed out as an important factor for the extension of the inquiry.
There are also those who defend in the Supreme Court that the inquiry may be useful for responding to the United States if the Government Donald Trump decides to apply sanctions against Brazilian authorities.
It is not ruled out that the Brazilian reaction is an offensive against Musk and its business in Brazil through the digital militias survey, although this scenario is considered remote.
At the trial where the first class of the Supreme Court received the complaint of the coup plot, Moraes showed what he has thought about the digital militias after the Bolsonaro government.
“We know that digital militias continue to act, even during this trial, trying to get excerpts to assemble. Because the specialty of these digital militias is in the production and distribution of fake news, to try to intimidate the judiciary,” said the minister.
“They did not realize that if, so far, they have not intimidated the judiciary, they will not intimidate the judiciary. Whether with national or foreign digital militias, because Brazil is a sovereign and independent country,” he added.
The digital militia survey has been extended by Moraes 11 times since its opening in 2021. The investigation is carried out by the Police Intelligence Directorate – Sector within the Federal Police that.
Despite the latest extension, in June 2024, the inquiry has had little movement in the last 12 months. Moraes denied some requests for sharing the information and rejected separate orders.
The last term of the inquiry won on March 27. The day before, the Federal Police sent a letter to the Supreme Court requesting the “dilation of deadline for completion of diligence in progress”. He agreed with the request for extension.
“Finally, it is essential to await the completion of the measures listed as missing by the police authority, as well as others that may be reflected from them, to enable an additional and broader judgment on the investigated facts, proving to continue the harvest of information elements,” said the attorney general on April 29.
Moraes has not yet decided, in the file, if it will extend the investigation. Meanwhile, the inquiry is still waiting for confirmation to advance due diligence. Sought, the Supreme Court did not comment.
