RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group and video-sharing platform Rumble filed an emergency motion in a U.S. court against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the firms said in a statement on Sunday.
On Friday, the Justice ordered the suspension of the video platform in the South American country until it complies with court orders, after the firms sued Moraes in the U.S. District Court in Tampa over accusations of illegal censorship.
Brazil’s Supreme Court did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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The motion seeks to stop orders issued by the judge, as they said Moraes’ rulings “violate American sovereignty, the U.S. Constitution, and U.S. laws.”
In the statement, the firms said that Moraes threatened criminal charges against Rumble’s CEO, Chris Pavlovski.
Moraes, who also led the country’s tussle with Elon Musk’s X, ordered the suspension of service for Rumble until the firm names a legal representative for Brazil, as law requires foreign companies to have one to operate locally.
Moraes also ordered the payment of pending fines and the blocking of the account of Allan dos Santos, a digital influencer close to former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and ordered the suspension of the monetization of his profile.
Dos Santos, who currently lives in the United States, is considered a fugitive in Brazil and is under investigation over alleged hate speech and spreading false information.
Moraes has spearheaded a crusade on perceived attacks on democracy and political use of disinformation, particularly under the Bolsonaro government, drawing ire from those such as X owner Musk in the process.
(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Andrea Ricci)