Brazil Court: electoral harassment at work to be punished

The head of the Superior Electoral Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said electoral harassment at work is a crime that will be fought by the Electoral Justice, during elections.

Moraes met, on October 18, with representatives of the Electoral and Labor Prosecution Offices to discuss how to combat harassment by companies trying to induce their employees to vote for certain candidates.

Harassments have been occurring on social media, by means of threats of dismissal, retention of personal documents, and closing companies after the elections, Moraes explained.

For the head of the court, voters must have the freedom to choose their candidates without illicit inferences. "Moral harassment is a crime, and as a crime, it will be fought. Those who commit it can be held civil and criminally liable," he said.

According to the Labor Prosecution Office, 440 lawsuits involving electoral harassment against workers have been registered during the 2022 elections. The number corresponds to the double registered in the 2018 elections.