In Brazil, a youth was detained for “inciting a crime against the life of the president”. On his Twitter account, he had insinuated that a “national hero” had to settle his account with Jair Bolsonaro, during a presidential visit. What shocks some jurists is that the young man was arrested on the basis of the national security law which dates from the dictatorship.
With our correspondent in Sao Paulo, Martin Bernard
Joao da Silva Junior is a 24-year-old Brazilian. Shortly before President Bolsonaro arrived in his region of Minas Gerais this week, he asked on a social network if there were any candidates for “ become a national hero ».
According to the police, this posed a threat to the head of state, and she invoked the National Security Law to arrest him.
The young man, who spent the night in prison, says it was just a “joke”. His lawyer says he only has 150 followers on his Twitter account, and he was only addressing his friends. Several jurists criticize the use of the National Security Act against the young man – a law that dates back to the time of the dictatorship, but is still in force.
Joao da Silva Junior has been released on bail. He claims to have received threats from supporters of President Bolsonaro. If found guilty, he faces at least two years in prison.
–
