A group of five Brazilian senators from former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party initiated impeachment proceedings on Tuesday against Attorney General Alexandre de Moraes, who recently acknowledged human rights abuses.
These senators are accusing him of various actions, including abuse of authority, administrative fraud, censorship, and violating constitutional rights, including the immunity of Congress members.
Reports indicate that out of Brazil’s 81 senators, 39 supported this motion as of Tuesday evening. A coalition of 23 senators from the ruling Workers’ Party (PT) and other left-leaning factions has opposed the motion openly, while another group of 21 senators has not yet taken a public stance.
To initiate the impeachment process, at least 41 votes are necessary, and a total of 54 votes—two-thirds of the Senate—is required to remove the controversial justice.
The request, led by PL Representative Hélio Lopes, adds to a long line of efforts, as it represents the 30th attempt for impeachment against de Moraes in recent years. Reports suggest that between 2021 and 2024, 22 requests were filed against him, with eight additional attempts in 2025, including this latest one.
Lopes’ request cites human rights violations recently formalized by the U.S. government under the Global Magnitsky Act due to concerns over the treatment of justice in Brazil and significant censorship of conservative commentators. They argue that these U.S. sanctions show that de Moraes has “lost moral and legal justification.”
The document also refers to an incident from July, where Lopes aimed to set up a peaceful protest camp in Brasilia’s Three Powers Square, home to Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace. The protest was intended to support Bolsonaro and advocate for pardons for individuals jailed for participating in protests on January 8, 2023.
According to reports, de Moraes authorized actions from the Attorney General’s Office to dismantle this protest camp, prohibit further demonstrations in the area, and allow for the arrests of participants.
On January 8, a peaceful protest camp was claimed to be involved in riots, with many attributing the chaos that resulted in injuries to movement leaders. Critics say this has led to accusations of an attempted coup against the government.
Lopes and four other lawmakers criticized the ban on peaceful protesting, asserting it violates constitutional rights to free expression. They emphasized that the planned protest was meant to be symbolic and non-violent.
The new impeachment request follows a recent ruling by de Moraes placing former President Bolsonaro under house arrest for allegedly breaching restrictions imposed earlier this year.
De Moraes stated Bolsonaro “violated” restrictions on social media use after his sons allegedly shared videos of him during protests against Lula and de Moraes across 62 cities in Brazil. Bolsonaro had a strict curfew preventing him from leaving his residence.
As part of his house arrest, police confiscated all of Bolsonaro’s mobile devices and imposed restrictions on communications, including bans on using anyone else’s phone. Following public outcry, some restrictions were eased to allow family members to visit without prior court clearance.
Authorities are examining content from Bolsonaro’s confiscated mobile devices, looking for evidence of whether he coordinated activities with his son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Depending on the investigation’s findings, Flavio could face accusations of attempting to obstruct justice.
