Rubio announces visa revocations on Brazilian judge for 'political witch hunt' against ex-president Bolsonaro

U S Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed visa restrictions on a Brazilian judge after the country's Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes his unspecified allies on the court and his immediate family members will face visa revocations according to Rubio who criticized what he called a political witch hunt against the former president President Trump made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States Rubio commented in a declaration Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians but also extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans he continued POLICE SEARCH FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO'S HOME POLITICAL HEADQUARTERSAs part of the court's orders Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign authorities using social media or approaching embassies over assertions he sought the interference of U S President Donald Trump according to the decision issued by Moraes who cited a concrete possibility of him fleeing the country Federal police raided Bolsonaro's home and he had an ankle monitor placed on him Trump has already attempted to pressure Brazil's bureaucrats to help Bolsonaro by announcing a tariff on goods from the country from August in a letter that began by criticizing Bolsonaro's trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on accusations of attempting to overturn the last voting process The U S president has pushed Brazil to end the affair against Bolsonaro arguing that the former Brazilian leader was the victim of a witch hunt Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz In cio Lula da Silva from taking office in January Bolsonaro notified Reuters that he held the orders against him were issued in response to Trump's criticism of his trial The former president described Moraes as a dictator and called the latest court orders acts of cowardice I feel supreme humiliation he disclosed about wearing the ankle monitor I am -years-old I was president of the republic for four years Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country but announced he would meet with Trump if he could obtain access to his passport which was seized last year He also noted he had contacted the top U S diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump's tariff threat White House spokesperson Anna Kelly announced on Friday citing previous comments from Trump that Bolsonaro and his supporters are under attack from a weaponized court system On Thursday Trump shared a letter he sent to Bolsonaro I have seen the terrible medicine you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you This trial should end at once he wrote Moraes reported in his decision that the restrictions against Bolsonaro were because of assertions that the former president was attempting to have the head of state of a foreign nation interfere in Brazilian courts which the judge called an attack on national sovereignty TRUMP CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE END TO UNJUST TRIAL OF FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONAROThe judge added that Trump's threats of higher tariffs sought to create a serious economic situation in Brazil to interfere in the country's judicial system Bolsonaro was also prohibited from contacting key allies including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro a Brazilian congressman who has been working in the U S to gather aid for his father The former Brazilian president notified Reuters he had been talking to his son almost daily and denied any concerted U S lobbying effort on his behalf He declared he expected his son to seek U S citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil A five-judge panel of Brazilian Supreme Court judges upheld Moraes' decision Reuters contributed to this analysis