STF Sets April 28 Hearing That Could Make Pastor Silas Malafaia a Defendant

Overview

• The Supreme Court’s First Panel set an in-person session for April 28 to decide if it will accept prosecutors’ complaint and open a criminal case against pastor Silas Malafaia.
• Minister Cristiano Zanin removed the case from the virtual docket, prompting a fresh in-person review after rapporteur Alexandre de Moraes had voted online to accept the complaint.
• The Prosecutor-General’s Office says Malafaia insulted four-star generals during an April 6, 2025 rally and reposted the remarks on Instagram, which it says drew more than 300,000 views.
• This step does not judge guilt and only checks if there is enough evidence to move forward with a criminal case.
• Malafaia denies wrongdoing and argues free-speech protection and lack of Supreme Court jurisdiction, while prosecutors link the case to probes into digital militias and attacks on democratic institutions.