The Attorney General’s Office made official, this Monday (27), the shelving of an action that requested the investigation of Federal Supreme Court Minister Gilmar Mendes.
The request questioned a statement by the minister in which he suggested that homosexuality could serve as an “injurious accusation” against Romeu Zema, former governor of Minas Gerais and Novo’s pre-candidate for Planalto.
The PGR evaluated the episode and concluded that the comment (originally made to the website Metropolises about the creation of “dolls of Zema as a homosexual”) did not justify the continuation of the case. The body took into account that the magistrate himself admitted that his speech was unfortunate and openly apologized for what happened.
“Thus, in the context presented, there is no conduct that constitutes an effective and current harm to the collective rights of the LGBTQIA+ population,” said Ubiratan Cazetta, public prosecutor.
The decision to discard the request blocked the initiative of lawyer and professor Enio Viterbo, known for using social networks to demand accountability and question the behavior of STF ministers.
According to Cazetta’s analysis, the episode involving Gilmar did not present basic evidence of significant disrespect for collective rights, nor evidence of a crime or reason for the Federal Public Ministry to intervene.
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Head of Paulo Gonet’s cabinet at PGR, the prosecutor works with a former business partner of Gilmar at the Brazilian Institute of Education, Development and Research (IDP). It is worth remembering that Gonet’s appointment and permanence in the post relied on the direct coordination of Gilmar and Alexandre de Moraes with President Lula.
Inquiry
Gilmar’s statements to the portal Metropoliseswhich were published last Thursday (23), intensified criticism of the Supreme Court, mainly on social media. At the time, the minister explained why he decided to request that the former governor of Minas Gerais be investigated in the fake news investigation.
The investigation began with something that Zema shared on his social networks: a recording mocking Gilmar and Dias Toffoli. In the video in question, both appear represented as manipulated dolls amid the repercussions involving Banco Master.
“If we start making jokes about serious things, about institutions… Imagine that we start making dolls of Zema as a homosexual. Isn’t that offensive? If we show him stealing money from the State, isn’t that offensive? Is it right to joke about that? Can public men do that? That’s what needs to be evaluated,” said Gilmar, in an interview.
Shortly after the post, Gilmar Mendes recanted on social media platforms. “I am not afraid to recognize a mistake. I was wrong when I mentioned homosexuality when referring to what would be an insulting accusation against former governor Romeu Zema”, said the minister on his profile on X (formerly Twitter).
Still in the same post, the minister stated that he intends to combat what he classifies as a network of attacks and slander aimed at discrediting the court, a group in which Zema would be included. The petition that aims to place the former governor of Minas under investigation in the fake news inquiry remains awaiting evaluation.
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