Fake News Involving Presidential Candidate and Brazil's Patron Saint Becomes Subject of Supreme Court Rulings - Folha de S.Paulo

Brazil’s Supreme Court is expected to examine the case involving the publication of posts containing false information about presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The material falsely claims that, if elected, the politician would strip the traditional saint known as Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as Brazil’s patron saint.

On Friday (25), Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça ordered, through Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), that the posts be taken down, deeming them "notoriously untrue" and citing the proximity of the election and the damage caused to Flávio’s candidacy.

On Sunday (28), fellow Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino overturned the order, arguing that he did not see "a sufficient degree of certainty of illegality to draw extremely harsh consequences against freedom of expression." Dino called for a full-court session to consider the case. The date will be set by the court’s president, Justice Edson Fachin.