“I have no regrets”: A Brazilian socialist leader sentenced over pro-Palestine speech

A Brazilian socialist leader sentenced to two years in prison over a pro-Palestine speech has warned that his conviction could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and expose other Palestine solidarity activists in Brazil to similar prosecutions.

José Maria de Almeida, widely known as Zé Maria, president of Brazil’s Unified Socialist Workers’ Party (PSTU), was convicted by a federal court in São Paulo on racism charges over remarks he made during a pro-Palestine demonstration on 22 October 2023.

Born in 1957 in São Paulo state, Zé Maria is a veteran socialist and former metalworker whose political activism dates back to Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985). A longstanding figure in the country’s labour movement, he was arrested in 1977 for distributing leaflets calling for May Day demonstrations. He was detained again in 1980 alongside Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s current president, during the historic metalworkers’ strikes in São Paulo’s industrial ABC region. His decades-long political career has been closely intertwined with Brazil’s labour struggles and the fight for democratic freedoms.

 

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In an exclusive interview, Zé Maria rejected the accusations of antisemitism, insisting that his speech constituted legitimate political criticism of Zionism and israel rather than hatred towards Jewish people.

“The most serious aspect of this entire situation is not even my conviction. It is the precedent that the conviction creates,” he told MEMO.

“If the national president of a political party can be imprisoned for publicly expressing criticism of the State of Israel, the message is very clear: criticising genocide can land you in prison”.

The Brazilian politician was sentenced to two years in prison, with the custodial sentence replaced by alternative penalties. He has challenged the ruling and says he is prepared to take the case to Brazil’s highest courts if necessary.

The case originated from a speech delivered during a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians on Avenida Paulista, one of São Paulo’s main avenues, shortly after the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.

Zé Maria said his remarks reflected the PSTU’s longstanding position on Palestine, based on solidarity with the Palestinian people, support for Palestinian resistance and opposition to what he described as Israel’s racist and colonialist political structure.

He defended the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state in which Palestinians, Jews and other communities could live together with equal rights.

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“It is necessary to end the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at seizing the lands of the Palestinian people,” he said. “It is also necessary to allow a democratic Palestinian state to emerge in the region, where Palestinians, Jews who wish to live peacefully there, and other ethnic communities can coexist on an equal footing.”

According to Zé Maria, the court interpreted his call for the dissolution of the Israeli state as advocating the destruction of the Jewish people, an interpretation he strongly rejected.

“Antisemitism is indeed a form of racism and must be fought with all our strength,” he said. However, he argued that opposing Zionism as a political ideology should not be equated with hostility towards Jews.

Drawing a comparison with the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, Zé Maria said that ending a political system does not mean eliminating the people living under it.

“The end of apartheid in South Africa did not mean the elimination of the white population living in that country,” he explained.

“Rather, it meant that white South Africans had to live alongside Black South Africans under conditions of equality. That is precisely what we want for Palestine.”

He described the court’s decision as arbitrary and maintained that Brazil’s constitutional protections for political expression should have prevented his prosecution.

“The judgment against me has no basis whatsoever in Brazilian law,” he said.

 

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zé Maria accused two prominent Brazilian Jewish organisations, the Brazilian Israelite Confederation (CONIB) and the Israelite Federation of São Paulo, of playing a central role in the proceedings against him. According to the politician, the organisations submitted complaints and subsequently participated in the judicial process as assistants to the prosecution. “Their role was central,” he said.

He claimed that his prosecution was not an isolated incident, alleging that dozens of other individuals had faced similar legal proceedings following complaints brought by the organisations. “This is a genuine offensive aimed at silencing those who denounce the genocide taking place in Palestine”.

He believes the legal actions form part of wider efforts to discourage activists from publicly criticising Israel and supporting Palestinian rights.

The case has also drawn attention to the debate over the definition of antisemitism in Brazil, particularly proposals to incorporate elements of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition into national legislation.

Zé Maria criticised a legislative proposal associated with Brazilian congresswoman Tabata Amaral, arguing that it could provide a legal basis for prosecuting political criticism of Zionism.

Supporters of the proposed legislation argue that it would strengthen protections against antisemitism while preserving legitimate criticism of Israel. For the PSTU leader, however, the central concern is the potential impact on democratic freedoms.

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“Convicting a political party leader for expressing a political opinion is a serious attack on the rights to freedom of expression and public demonstration guaranteed by Brazil’s Federal Constitution,” he said.

“If this precedent becomes established, it will open the door to eliminating or further restricting a fundamental democratic freedom in our country, particularly for the working class.”

 

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The socialist leader also criticised Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government, arguing that its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza has not been accompanied by sufficient political and economic measures.

Although Brazil has taken a prominent diplomatic position on Palestine and formally intervened in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Zé Maria said the government had failed to use all the instruments available to pressure Israel.

“There is broad support for the Palestinian people’s struggle among the various left-wing organisations in our country,” he said. “However, when it comes to the practical consequences of that support, the situation is different.”

Zé Maria argued that maintaining diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel undermines the Brazilian government’s public criticism of the war in Gaza. “In other words, the government says one thing but does another,” he said.

 

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Despite his conviction and the possibility of facing imprisonment if his appeals fail, Zé Maria said he would not change a word of the political position he expressed during the October 2023 demonstration. “Without a doubt, I would deliver the same speech,” he said.

He acknowledged that confronting legal proceedings had placed significant pressure on him but insisted that his personal circumstances could not be compared with the suffering endured by Palestinians.

“It is neither easy nor simple to confront the legal proceedings and persecution carried out by Zionists here. I may even have to serve a prison sentence if my appeals are rejected by the higher courts,” he said. “However, that is nothing compared with the suffering of the Palestinian people, who have faced a campaign of ethnic cleansing for almost 80 years.”

For Zé Maria, the legal battle now extends beyond his individual case and raises broader questions about the future of the Palestine solidarity movement and freedom of political expression in Brazil.

He insisted that judicial proceedings would not deter him or other activists from continuing their support for Palestinians. “We must remain steadfast in our support and solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle,” he said. “This is an obligation for all of us, if not as socialist and internationalist activists, then simply as human beings”, he concluded.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.