U.S. President Donald Trump, following the sanction of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, has threatened to extend similar punitive measures to corrupt judges in Nigeria and other countries accused of trampling on fundamental human rights.

The warning came shortly after the U.S. Department of State, under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, sanctioned Justice Moraes for alleged human rights violations, including politically motivated detentions and suppression of free speech.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the move on Wednesday in a post via X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“@POTUS and @USTreasury have sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for serious human rights abuses.”

He further issued a stern warning:

“Let this be a warning to those who would trample on the fundamental rights of their countrymen  judicial robes cannot protect you.”

The Global Magnitsky sanctions program, named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in 2009 after exposing corruption, enables the U.S. government to impose financial and travel restrictions on foreign individuals responsible for gross human rights abuses or corruption.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of State explained that Moraes was sanctioned for overseeing arbitrary detentions, issuing secret orders to U.S. social media companies to silence critics, and undermining freedom of expression.

“Today, the United States is sanctioning Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for serious human rights abuse, including arbitrary detention involving flagrant denials of fair trial guarantees and violations of the freedom of expression,” the department said.

It added that Moraes “abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics,” and used his position to authorise unjust pre-trial detentions.

The designation was made under Executive Order 13818, which extends the reach of the Global Magnitsky Act.

Trump’s administration, echoing Rubio’s comments, signaled that corrupt judicial officials globally including those in Nigeria may face similar consequences if found guilty of suppressing democratic freedoms or violating human rights.

Although no Nigerian judge has yet been named in connection with pending sanctions, the warning has stirred reactions across legal and political circles, particularly given Nigeria’s longstanding concerns over judicial independence and allegations of political interference in court rulings.

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