Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), leader of the opposition, requested that Justice Minister Sergio Moro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes clarify whether government agencies are investigating journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept Brazil.
In recent weeks Greenwald has been publishing messages between Moro and Lava Jato's attorneys and these messages have brought the minister's job as a former judge under suspicion.
A news release by the website "The Antagonist" states that the Federal Police (PF) requested a report from the Financial Activities Control Council (COAF) on the financial movements of the journalist. The PF did not confirm this.
Parliamentarians want to know whether the alleged investigation, which has not been confirmed, is part of a retaliatory move on Glenn Greenwald, typical of those exercised "by dictatorial governments."
The opposition leader justified the request by stating that "the news that the PF was investigating the journalist and that it requested a report on his financial activities caused a rapid reaction by the media because such a measure is equivalent to those exercised by dictatorial governments. "
He also pointed out that freedom of the press is a precept enshrined in the Constitution and that "censorship of a political, ideological and artistic nature" is prohibited in Brazil.
"In case of a possible request to the COAF, we will be faced with a request of an inquisitive nature in an attempt to embarrass the main activity of the press," the petition further states.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon