The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicans), filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Paraíba requesting the removal of billboards spread across the city in the context of the Blindagem Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC), but his request was denied.
The decision was issued by the 4th Federal Court of Justice, with judgment by federal judge Vinícius Costa Vidor. In the order, the magistrate also scheduled a hearing for this Wednesday, the 27th, bringing together the parties involved, but there was no conciliation between them.
The billboards displayed photos of Hugo Motta accompanied by phrases such as “They voted yes to protect politicians who committed crimes” and “The people will not forget this”, in addition to the logo of the Union of Federal Workers of Basic, Professional and Technological Education of Paraíba (Sintef-PB).
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On social media, Sintef-PB stated: “The attempt to silence demonstrations reveals fear of public debate. But we remain firm: demonstration is not a crime, it is a constitutional right, and no one will restrict the voice of the people.”
Motta’s defense, carried out by lawyers from the Chamber of Deputies, argued that the billboards violated the limits of freedom of expression and could be defamatory.
However, the judge highlighted that, as a public figure holding a public position, Motta is more subject to criticism, and that the material did not constitute an intention of defamation, being just blunt criticism of a legislative proposal and the behavior of the President of the Chamber during its processing.
The contents were spread across the cities of Campina Grande and Cajazeiras, in the Sertão, and included the names of other deputies from Paraíba.
The report contacted the Legal Department of the Chamber of Deputies, but did not receive a response until publication. The channel remains open. The billboards have already been removed from circulation.
