Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes ordered a search and seizure to be carried out against Maranhão journalist Luís Pablo Conceição Almeida, responsible for the website Blog do Luís Pablo. The measure was requested by the Federal Police (PF) as part of an investigation investigating the alleged crime of persecution against Court Minister Flávio Dino.
The decision was signed on March 4 and authorized personal and home searches against the journalist at addresses linked to him in São Luís (MA). According to the order, there is evidence that posts made on the blog and on social networks may constitute the crime of persecution, provided for in article 147-A of the Penal Code.
According to the PF representation, reports published in November 2025 would have disclosed information about a vehicle used by Dino in Maranhão. For investigators, the content would indicate possible monitoring of the car and access to sensitive data related to the authority’s security.
The police cited at least three texts published on the journalist’s website, in addition to content published on his Instagram account. In one of the reports, the blog stated that an armored car from the Maranhão Court of Justice was being used by the minister’s family members on private trips to the capital of Maranhão.
In the decision, Moraes stated that the publications may indicate that the author “made use of some state mechanism to identify and characterize the vehicles used”, which, according to the minister, would have allowed the undue exposure of information related to the security of a STF authority.
For the magistrate, the elements gathered so far indicate that the person being investigated may have carried out monitoring and surveillance of the vehicle used by Dino, in addition to disclosing data that could affect the physical or psychological integrity of the victim. Moraes also mentioned the possibility of other people participating in obtaining the information.
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Based on this evidence, the minister authorized the seizure of cell phones, computers, tablets, documents and other electronic devices that could assist in the investigation. The decision also allows the analysis of content stored on devices, including data stored in cloud storage services.
The order also provides for the collection and preservation of publications made by the journalist on the internet and social networks, which must be analyzed by the Federal Police. The seized material will be subjected to forensic examination, and the PF must present a partial report of the investigations within a period of up to 30 days.
According to the order, the measure seeks to prevent the disappearance of evidence and allow the facts under investigation to be clarified. Moraes highlighted that home inviolability is a constitutional guarantee, but can be removed in exceptional situations when there is evidence of a crime.
On his website, Luís Pablo stated that he is still awaiting full access to the records to fully understand the basis of the decision.
“Luís Pablo reaffirms his commitment to the responsible exercise of journalism, to the investigation of facts of public interest and to respecting the constitutional and conventional principles that guarantee freedom of the press and the right to information”, stated the journalist, in a statement.
The Brazilian Bar Association in Maranhão (OAB-MA), through the Commission for the Defense of Freedom of Expression and the press, publicly commented on the execution of the search and seizure warrant. The body highlighted that, according to the Supreme Court’s own jurisprudence, “search and seizure measures must be carried out with caution and within the strict limits of the investigation that may be ongoing, as well as the need to comply with the constitutional text regarding the preservation of source secrecy and protection of the free professional exercise of the activity”.
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“The Commission reaffirms its commitment to protecting press freedom and defending the constitutional guarantees that ensure the free exercise of journalism, remaining vigilant in safeguarding the rights of journalists and communication professionals who work in the state of Maranhão”, highlighted the body.
