Justice denies Felipe Neto’s appeal and confirms compensation of R $ 20 thousand to Arthur Lira

An appeal by influencer Felipe Neto related to an action filed by the former mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), was denied on Wednesday by the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT). The court confirmed the decision that sentenced Neto to pay compensation of $ 20,000 to Lira for moral damages.

The conviction occurred because Felipe Neto called Lira “very excrement” during a virtual participation in a meeting in the House last year. The amount of the indemnity corresponds to 10% of the parliamentary’s initial claim, which was R $ 200 thousand.

Lira had already filed a criminal action for an alleged crime of injury to the same facts, but the case was filed in July 2024.

The episode that motivated the conviction took place in April last year during a House debate on digital platform regulation. At the time, Felipe Neto criticized Lira for filed the bill that dealt with the regulation of the networks.

“It is necessary, fundamentally, that we change the perception of what a 2,630 bill is, which was unfortunately crushed by the very excrement Arthur Lira,” he said at the time.

In the sentence rendered in September last year, and whose appeal was denied on Wednesday, Judge Cleber Pinto considered that “abuse of the right of free manifestation of thought was configured, leaving clear the intention of the defendant to reach the person of the author, causing him moral damages.”

The magistrate stressed that, after the debate, Felipe Neto published the video and mocked the situation, writing: “Could not? Watch here.”

At that moment, he made clear his insulting intention. It aimed to achieve the honor and image of the parliamentarian. He did not criticize the parliamentarian’s political action, but offered him personally – says the sentence.

Cleber Pinto, however, considered that the claim for compensation of R $ 200,000 was “exaggerated and representative of illicit enrichment”. A value in this level would only be justifiable, according to the judge, in cases that deal with “intense suffering caused to the victim, as a rule involving loss of loved one.”

In a defense presented in the process, Felipe Neto’s defense stated that the statement was only a criticism, supported by freedom of expression, and questioned whether a “simple pun” would have caused damage to Lira.

-With due respect, a man who has launched himself to public life from a young age, with huge upholstery and experience, president of the House of Representatives, to be assaulted, injured, triggering the legislative police for being called ‘very excrement’ is simply unbelievable-said the defense.