Democracy Dies in Darkness

Brazil charges American journalist Glenn Greenwald for reports exposing alleged corruption

January 21, 2020 at 3:14 p.m. EST
American journalist Glenn Greenwald, co-founder and editor of the Intercept website, gestures during a hearing at the Lower House’s Human Rights Commission in Brasilia, on June 25. (Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images)

Brazilian prosecutors charged American journalist Glenn Greenwald on Tuesday with cybercrimes for his reporting last year on leaked cellphone messages that cast doubt on the impartiality of a corruption investigation that helped pave the way for the rise of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

News of the criminal complaint sent shock waves through Brazilian society, with journalists and others denouncing it as a politically motivated attempt to stifle free speech and a threat to Brazilian democracy. Greenwald called the allegations baseless.