Good morning! We’re covering the latest attack on press freedoms, with journalist Glenn Greenwald charged with cybercrimes. Brazil to allow foreign government contractors. And the charges against those responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters in Brazilian history. (This newsletter is for premium subscribers only. Become one now!)
Greenwald indictment dangerous for press freedoms
A federal prosecutor presented charges of criminal association and phone tapping against American journalist Gleen Greenwald for his role in the so-called “Car Wash leaks,” a series of reports of private messages exchanged by Operation Car Wash investigators and former Federal Judge Sergio Moro. The leaks showed that Mr. Moro—who currently serves as Justice Minister—guided prosecutors throughout the investigation, sparking criticism that he failed to act as a neutral umpire, as judges should.
Context. Last year, Mr. Greenwald’s The Intercept Brasil began publishing the leaked private messages, raising suspicions that Mr. Moro had tipped the scales in favor of prosecutors against many defendants—including former President Lula. Federal Police marshals say the messages were obtained by a gang that operated a credit card fraud operation—which ended up hacking the cell phones of up to 1,000 A-list authorities—but never investigated Mr. Greenwald.
The accusation. In a 95-page document,...