Among many things, the Church of Scientology is known for its so-called “fair game doctrine,” by which the church was allowed to use any means at its disposal to counterattack and defeat its enemies. One such strategy was burying foes under a slew of litigation that could financially ruin them. In the early 1990s, the Cult Awareness Network was driven to bankruptcy after having to answer over 50 lawsuits across the U.S. The church’s strategy was to make it “not only difficult but also potentially dangerous to criticize Scientology,” as religious studies professor Hugh Urban wrote in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.
Now, President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters appear to be taking a page out of Scientology’s playbook.
The Brazilian Association of Conservative Lawyers (OACB) launched a campaign to silence the president’s detractors with the threat of lawsuits. A memo explaining this strategy was sent out to members of the organization, created just over a year ago by a group of lawyers from João Pessoa, the capital city of northeastern state Paraíba.
“If you receive or find any video, photo, or content that is offensive to President Jair Bolsonaro,...
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