A Brazilian socialist leader sentenced to two years in prison over a pro-Palestine speech has warned that his conviction could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression…
A Brazilian socialist leader sentenced to two years in prison over a pro-Palestine speech has warned that his conviction could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and expose other Palestine solidarity activists in Brazil to similar prosecutions. José Maria de Almeida, widely known as Zé Maria, president of Brazil’s Unified Socialist Workers’ Party (PSTU), was convicted by a federal court in São Paulo on racism charges over remarks he made during a pro-Palestine demonstration on 22 October 2023.
Born in 1957 in São Paulo state, Zé Maria is a veteran socialist and former metalworker whose political activism dates back to Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985). A longstanding figure in the country’s labour movement, he was arrested in 1977 for […]
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