US lifts sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court judge: What does it mean for Bolsonaro’s case?
The United States Treasury Department on Friday removed the financial sanctions it had imposed in July on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The sanctions, initially enacted in response to De Moraes’ handling of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, had frozen his assets in the US and prohibited Americans from conducting transactions with him. The Treasury offered no additional details regarding the decision.
De Moraes, a key figure in Brazil’s judiciary, previously placed Bolsonaro under house arrest in August 2025 for violating a court order banning him from using social media during his trial over an alleged coup attempt. At the time, the US justified its sanctions by accusing the judge of orchestrating “oppressive censorship, arbitrary detentions violating human rights, and politically motivated prosecutions,” including actions against Bolsonaro.
The decision to lift sanctions comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Brazil over the independence of the country’s judicial system. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had criticised the original sanctions as an “interference” in Brazil’s justice system, while Bolsonaro’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, praised the US for its support, describing the move as a defence of strategic American interests.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro is now required to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília, following his conviction for an attempted coup in September 2025. The removal of sanctions on De Moraes underscores the complex international and political pressures surrounding Brazil’s high-profile judicial cases and their broader diplomatic implications.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
