U.S. sanctions against Brazil's top judge "unacceptable": Lula

SAO PAULO, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday condemned as "unacceptable" the U.S. visa restriction against Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

"It's unacceptable for a president of any country to comment on decisions made by another country's Supreme Court," Lula said at a press conference.

The remarks came days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions against foreign officials accused of "censoring American citizens or companies."

Moraes, who in 2024 temporarily suspended the social platform X, formerly Twitter, for failing to comply with Brazilian law, is seen as a clear target of the new U.S. visa policy.

Lula pledged to defend Moraes and any Supreme Court justice targeted by sanctions.

Moraes is currently overseeing the case against former president Jair Bolsonaro over an attempted coup on Jan. 8, 2023. Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, a federal deputy currently on leave and residing in the U.S., has urged Washington to sanction Moraes.

"It's regrettable that a Brazilian congressman, the son of a former president, is calling for foreign interference in our domestic affairs. That is serious. It's unpatriotic -- a terrorist act," Lula said.

Eduardo is under investigation in Brazil for obstructing justice and pressuring officials by seeking U.S. intervention against Moraes.