Abraji Program Has Already Provided Free Legal Support in 36 Cases of Journalists Targeted by Judicial Threats

Created in April 2021, Abraji’s Legal Protection Program for Journalists has already provided free assistance in 36 cases involving communication, media, and press professionals or organizations facing lawsuits, threats, or harassment as a result of their journalistic work.

Since late 2024, the initiative has registered 11 new cases across seven Brazilian states, involving nine different journalists and media outlets. Among these are four criminal lawsuits and seven civil lawsuits.

Funded by the international organization Media Defence and carried out in partnership with the Tornavoz Institute, the program offers free legal assistance to professionals facing intimidation through lawsuits or to those seeking to hold their aggressors civilly liable.

           Submit your case to the Legal Protection Program through this link.

Priority is given to journalists who work outside major urban centers and do not have financial backing from the outlets they work for. More information regarding eligibility criteria can be accessed in this document.

"Confidence to Endure"

Photojournalist Camila Hermes states that the program played a fundamental role during a moment of vulnerability in her career.

In October 2025, Camila took part in a program by the VII Foundation, an international organization dedicated to photojournalism, education, and the defense of press freedom. During the course, she developed a documentary photo essay on graffiti in Porto Alegre and its urban, social, and political dimensions.

Following this work, the journalist was subpoenaed as a suspect in a police investigation conducted by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul. Feeling under pressure, she remained silent during her deposition. Access to the case files has not yet been granted.

Camila worked for years as a staff photojournalist for the newspaper Zero Hora (RBS Group) and currently works as a freelancer.

"Abraji's Legal Protection Program played a fundamental role in my case by offering me support, guidance, and security at a time of professional vulnerability. Joining this support network was extremely important because it gave me the confidence to continue looking at social issues that, as a photojournalist, I believe we have a duty to portray and document," she states.

According to Camila, the support offered by the program also helped by providing legal guidance.

"The support is still ongoing, but it has already been vital in broadening my understanding of rights related to the practice of journalism and the protection mechanisms available in situations of pressure or exposure. Having this guidance has helped me navigate this moment with greater security and awareness regarding my professional practice," she says.

Camila reinforces that initiatives like this strengthen democracy and help guarantee press freedom.

"Programs like this are essential means to ensure that press freedom is effectively safeguarded nowadays. They help create conditions for journalists to carry out their work with more support, especially when tackling sensitive topics, strengthening the role of journalism in a free and democratic society."

Journalist Denounces Judicial Harassment in Pará

Ronaldo Brasiliense, a journalist for over 40 years, was also assisted by the program after facing lawsuits filed by the then-governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho. According to him, the legal assistance was decisive in challenging irregularities and providing the security needed to continue working professionally.

"Abraji's legal support was fundamental regarding the lawsuit brought by the now former-governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, for alleged defamation, in which I was convicted by Judge Anuzia Dias of the 5th Criminal Court of Belém for calling Barbalho 'clueless' and 'unscrupulous' in a 12-line post on my Facebook profile," he says.

Judge Anuzia Dias, who was temporarily presiding over the Criminal Court of Belém, initially sentenced him to 6 months and 22 days in prison under an open regime. Later, the sentence was converted into eight months and two days of community service in Óbidos, a municipality in western Pará where he resides. It was ordered that he perform services cleaning latrines in public facilities, which is incompatible with his medical and health condition.

According to Brasiliense, attorney Marjean Monte, hired by Abraji, appealed the ruling, arguing that the statute of limitations had expired on November 24, 2024, three years after the conviction became final and unappealable. According to him, this argument was also backed by the State Attorney General’s Office at the Court of Justice of Pará, but is currently awaiting the magistrate's decision.

In the same year, the Coalition for the Defense of Journalism repudiated the journalist's conviction and expressed solidarity.

Brasiliense did not serve a single day of community service and is currently awaiting the decision of the Court of Justice of Pará regarding the statute of limitations on his sentence.

According to him, the legal assistance provided by the program allowed him to continue practicing his profession.

"The legal security provided by hiring lawyers to handle my defense gives me the peace of mind to continue denouncing corruption in the government of Pará, without fear of intimidation through the Judiciary," he says.

Brasiliense also faces a civil lawsuit in which he was ordered to pay R$ 50,000 to the then-governor of Pará for alleged moral damages. This case received legal backing from the Tornavoz Institute, Abraji’s partner in the project.

According to him, the defense presented documents proving that he resides in Óbidos, in western Pará, and not in Belém, as stated in the lawsuit.

For the journalist, "Abraji's Legal Protection Program is an important tool in the fight for freedom of expression in Brazil, where journalists who denounce corruption are increasingly intimidated by the actions of governments backed by venal judges, who curtail press freedom with constant threats and lawsuits against investigative reporters."

Judicial Harassment in Brazil

Judicial harassment against journalists is a concern and a form of attack on press freedom. Thus, Abraji watches this situation through its Judicial Harassment Monitor project. The second edition of the survey recorded 130 new cases between 2024 and September 2025.

Initially launched in 2024 with 654 mapped lawsuits, the updated report expanded that number to 784 lawsuits registered over the last 11 years. The monitoring system compiles instances where the justice system is weaponized to intimidate or silence media professionals. Check out the Monitor via this link.

Journalists and other professional communicators who meet the criteria of the Legal Protection Program can request assistance through a specific form or via Abraji's official email: [email protected].