“Charges Against Greenwald Are Threat to Press Freedom,” Says Chamber President

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The charges lodged by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) against journalist Glenn Greenwald were categorized as a “threat to press freedom” by Rodrigo Maia, President of the Chamber of Deputies.

Maia used Twitter to express his opinion on the accusation, which was filed on Tuesday, January 21st against the journalist and six other people, who were considered part of the hacker group that obtained information on public officials.

However, Greenwald was associated with the crime for having aided and abetted one of those investigated by telling him to delete the messages obtained, according to the MPF. The accusatory document, however, contains Glenn’s statements which point to the very opposite of what the MPF has alleged.

Rodrigo Maia believes that the case attacks democracy by criminalizing Greenwald’s actions. “Journalism is not a crime. Without free journalism there is no democracy,” wrote the president.

Throughout the afternoon, the repercussion of the charges against Glenn prompted celebrations among politicians critical of “Vaza Jato”, which exposed conversations by prosecutors, then Judge Sérgio Moro and other members of Operation Lava Jato.

Elsewhere, the debate has gained ground with human rights organizations, journalists and international media. Most of them criticized the MPF’s actions.

The ABRAJI (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism) declared that the MPF “makes a distorted interpretation of the conversations of the journalist with his then source” and “has as its sole purpose to embarrass the professional”. Amnesty International classified the charges as “extremely serious”.

The Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), through its Press Freedom Observatory, said in a note that it is “following the case with great concern”: “The involvement in any crime requires incitement or effective assistance in its practice, and none of the journalist’s messages included in the MPF’s records point to any such behavior,” says the OAB.

The Intercept Brasil, a website co-founded by Greenwald, declared that “the Federal Prosecutor’s Office clearly serving a political purpose” is perplexing.

Greenwald was not indicted by the Federal Police when the body investigated the hackers’ actions. Furthermore, any investigation against the journalist was prohibited by a decision of Justice Gilmar Mendes of the Federal Supreme Court.

The MPF claims it did not investigate Glenn and says the charges were based on a link between the journalist and one of the other accused.