The Federal Court of Brasilia accepted the complaint of the MPF (Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office) against Filipe Martins, adviser for international affairs to President Jair Bolsonaro (no party). With this, Martins became an accused for a racist gesture. The decision was taken by Federal Judge Marcus Vinicius Reis Bastos.
Martins made a gesture with his hand which, with three open fingers (symbolizing the letter “w”) and the index finger joining the thumb (forming a “p”), means “white power” (in Portuguese: white power), being a symbol for supremacist groups.
On the 9th, the MPF denounced Filipe Martins for, during a session in the Federal Senate, having made a gesture linked to racist and supremacist groups. In a statement, the MPF said it had ruled out the possibility of a causal link in the behavior of Filipe Martins in the Senate and that “it was obvious” that the adviser “was aware of the content, the meaning and the illegality of his gesture “.
At the time, lawyer João Vinicius Manssur, who represents Martins, said in a note that the prosecution was unfounded. “Filipe Martins’ life story and his struggles for public freedoms and fundamental rights are in his favor,” said the lawyer.