Brazil’s Top Court Rules Financial Motive Does Not Rule Out Terrorism Conviction

Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ruled that financial motivation does not preclude the characterization of terrorism-related crimes, allowing prejudice-based motives to coexist with economic interests. The decision overturned a lower court ruling that had acquitted a defendant on those grounds. The case involved a Brazilian man linked to an antisemitic organization affiliated with Hezbollah, who allegedly received training in Lebanon and scouted Jewish targets in Brasília, including synagogues and Israel's embassy. The lower court had acquitted him of preparatory terrorism acts, citing financial motives as primary, but the STJ reinstated his conviction. The STJ's Sixth Panel determined that Brazil's antiterrorism law does not require prejudice to be the sole or primary motive. The case returns to the lower court for pending appeal analysis and sentencing calculation.