After imposing sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for alleged abuse of power and politically motivated actions, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that similar measures could be extended to corrupt judges in Nigeria and other countries.
The warning was delivered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed that Justice Moraes was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act for human rights violations.
“@POTUS and @USTreasury have sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for serious human rights abuses,” Mr Rubio said in a post on social media.
Warning judicial officials from Nigeria and other nations of the world, the U.S. Secretary of State said, “Let this be a warning to those who would trample on the fundamental rights of their countrymen—judicial robes cannot protect you.”
Magnitsky sanctions are financial and travel restrictions imposed by governments on individuals found guilty of severe human rights violations. The sanctions are named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax lawyer who exposed government corruption but was imprisoned, tortured, and died in custody in 2009.
Mr Rubio’s warning that the United States will pursue corrupt judicial officials globally — including in Nigeria — with Magnitsky sanctions follows the U.S. Department of State’s recent action against Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil.
“Today, the United States is sanctioning Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for serious human rights abuse, including arbitrary detention involving flagrant denials of fair trial guarantees and violations of the freedom of expression,” the U.S. Department of State said.
It added, “Moraes abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics through the issuance of secret orders compelling online platforms, including U.S. social media companies, to ban the accounts of individuals for posting protected speech.”
According to the U.S. government, Justice Moraes further misused his authority by approving unjust pre-trial detentions and suppressing freedom of expression.
