The Brazilian Law Professor, public intellectual and LawTransform Global Fellow Conrado Hübner Mendes is under attack from the Attorney General in Brazil for expressing his opinion. In an interview by the Humboldt Foundation (Academic freedom: How one Humboldtian is standing up for the democratic constitution in Brazil), Mendes explains, among other things, how lawsuits and pending litigation are used to silence critical academics and journalists:
“Being accused is nerve-racking. Defending myself is time-consuming. At play here is a tactic of attrition. When critics are accused of defamation and are showered with lawsuits, it takes steadfastness not to give up. This is how self-censorship is brought about. Winning the case is the least important in the intimidating strategy. Silencing the critics, despite losing the case, is the main victory“.
All our solidarity goes out to Conrado Hübner Mendes!
Read here for more information about the case.