Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes thanked President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday, the 12th, for his efforts after the Donald Trump administration removed his name from the Magnitsky Act sanctions list.

In his speech, Moraes stated that he always believed the episode would be reversed and described the reversal as an institutional victory for the country."I believed the truth would prevail," the minister said during the inauguration of SBT News.

In detailing the outcome of the case, Moraes attributed the result to the actions of the Brazilian government and stated that the episode represented a triple victory.

"The truth, thanks to the commitment of President Lula and his entire team, prevailed. And we can say, with satisfaction, with humility, but with satisfaction, that it was a triple victory. A victory for the Brazilian Judiciary. The Brazilian Judiciary, which did not yield to threats or coercion, and will not yield, and continued with impartiality, seriousness, and courage."

According to the minister, lifting the sanction also symbolized the defense of the country's institutional autonomy in the face of external pressures and respect for democratic institutions.

“The victory of national sovereignty. President Lula, from the very first moment, said that the country would not tolerate any invasion of Brazilian sovereignty. But, more than that, it is a victory for democracy. Brazil arrives today, almost at the end of the year, giving an example of democracy and institutional strength to all countries in the world. And this is also largely thanks to freedom of the press.”

Moraes was sanctioned by the Trump administration on July 30th of this year amid pressure from American authorities for him to back down.

, in a retaliatory gesture after the First Panel of the Supreme Federal Court followed Moraes' vote and sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and 3 months in prison, on the 11th of the same month.

The Magnitsky Act imposes financial sanctions on foreign nationals accused of corruption or serious human rights violations. This legal tool, available to the U.S. Treasury Department, had never before been used against members of the judiciary. The U.S. government has not yet published its justification for removing the minister and his wife from the sanctions list.

In July, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that"the ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to promote positive behavioral change."

The Trump administration punished Moraes for allegedly promoting a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro and his supporters, as declared by the US president himself. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed Trump's statement justifying the punishment, stating that Bolsonaro was one of Moraes' targets"in his campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and political persecution."

The application of the Magnitsky Act by the Trump administration was the result of intense pressure from Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), who moved to the United States in February of this year with the goal of convincing American authorities that his father's trial was the result of political persecution. Eduardo's lobbying efforts with the Trump administration were supported by influencer Paulo Figueiredo.

The list of punishments for Moraes included the freezing of assets in his name or that belong to him but are eventually in the possession of Americans. Furthermore, any companies or entities linked to the minister were prohibited from operating in the country.

The application of the Magnitsky Act also implied sanctions against financial institutions and other individuals who"engaged in certain transactions or activities" with the minister. Companies such as banks and credit card operators were prohibited from carrying out any operation involving Moraes, under penalty of receiving multimillion-dollar fines and other sanctions.

The change in the American government's stance regarding Moraes comes after recent rapprochements between Trump and Lula, who, from the outset, opposed the application of sanctions to Brazilian magistrates.