The Constitution and Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies (CCJ) decided, by symbolic vote, to suspend the processing of a criminal action in the Federal Supreme Court (STF) against deputy Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO). Now, the final decision will be made by the plenary.
The action against the deputy comes from licensed senator Vanderlan Cardoso (PSD-GO), following a video published on Instagram, in February 2023, in which Gayer criticizes, with insults, the senator, the former president of the Senate Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) and the current one, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), and the Federal Supreme Court.
The request for suspension was made by the PL, the deputy’s party, based on the Constitution, which defines the exclusive competence of the Chamber of Deputies to deliberate, on the initiative of the party represented in it, on the suspension of criminal action.
The CCJ rapporteur, deputy Zé Haroldo Cathedral (PSD-RR), argued that the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression to parliamentarians and that crimes of insult, slander and defamation have not been proven.
“Gayer’s criticisms were in inappropriate, rude and inelegant language, but protected by inviolability. If it is understood that the conduct is reprehensible, the remedy is ethical-disciplinary liability”, argued the rapporteur.
The criminal complaint made by Vanderlan was received by the First Panel of the STF, and Gayer became a defendant. The process, reported by minister Alexandre de Moraes, is in the final arguments phase.
