Electoral Court debunks the first two fake news stories against Marconi.
The Electoral Court has struck down the first two fake news stories against former governor Marconi Perillo (PSDB), a candidate for the Senate; the false information, published on social media by GW Comunicação and Edgar Campos, was considered offensive and injurious to the politician in a single decision issued by Judge Juliano Bernardes, who ordered that the posts be immediately removed from the internet; the judge of the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-GO) accepted the arguments of Marconi's lawyer, Ademir Ismerim Medina, according to whom the lies are "serious" and "cause irreparable damage to the candidate."
Goiás 247 - The Electoral Court has taken down the first two fake news stories against former governor Marconi Perillo (PSDB), a candidate for the Senate. The false information, published on social media accounts by GW Comunicação and Edgar Campos, was deemed offensive and defamatory to the politician in a single ruling issued by Judge Juliano Bernardes, who ordered the posts to be immediately removed from the internet.
The judge of the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-GO) accepted the arguments of Marconi's lawyer, Ademir Ismerim Medina, according to whom the lies are "serious" and "cause irreparable damage to the candidate." Bernardes states in his decision that "the free expression of thought is not an absolute right." "We have assembled a team capable of inhibiting this type of action, which aims solely to denigrate the candidate's image. This decision has a pedagogical character and we will continue to act with the same rigor," said Medina.
"Upon analysis of the case file and the evidence presented, the content of the statements brought to the record and the messages submitted violate electoral law," states the magistrate. "They constitute a clear overstepping of the limits of freedom of expression and the manifestation of thought and, in fact, characterize an offense to the image, honor, and dignity of the representative," he continues, concluding that "hence the need for intervention by the Electoral Court to curb and put an end to such abuses and offenses."
In the decision, issued this Sunday, Judge Juliano Bernardes orders Facebook to remove the posts, under penalty of a daily fine of R$ 1.000,00 (one thousand reais). The magistrate also summons the defendants to present their defense in the lawsuit for slander, libel, and defamation through the use of fake news against Marconi.
The former governor's campaign is equipped with professionals experienced in combating fake news, which represents a serious violation of electoral law. For his part, Marconi made a commitment to voters to run a transparent and constructive campaign and urged the activists of the Goiás Avança Mais Coalition not to use the illegal tactic of spreading fake news.