An open letter to Brazilian Congress calls for an end to censorship during the ongoing 'X' ban.

An open letter signed by over 100 individuals was sent to the Brazilian Congress on Thursday, urging an end to the "censorship crisis" that has resulted in the nationwide ban of X in the South American country.

The suspension of X in Brazil was widely condemned by notable academics, journalists, thought leaders, and politicians as a "dangerous escalation" of the "troubling trend of global censorship of speech."

On August 8, X stated that Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes had ordered the blocking of certain accounts belonging to journalists and politicians in an attempt to combat "misinformation." However, when X refused to comply with de Moraes' demands, the judge threatened arrest.

On Aug. 20, a judge ordered the "immediate, complete and total suspension of X’s operations" across the country, threatening fines of around $9,000 per day if anyone tried using a virtual private network (VPN) to access the platform after the platform refused to comply with government orders to shut down certain accounts.

Starlink, another company led by Musk, is facing a legal battle in Brazil after a Supreme Court judge ordered its financial accounts to be frozen.

"The letter warns that the censorship in Brazil, which is becoming increasingly aggressive in suppressing objectionable speech, could set a dangerous precedent that quickly spreads."

Other world leaders have expressed pro-censorship sentiments, and the erosion of free speech is the quickest way to destroy democracy, the letter states.

The list of signatories includes Liz Truss, Sam Brownback, Robert P. George, Riley Gaines, David Starkey, Seth Dillon, Rod Dreher, Mario Nawfal, Chris Elston, Billboard Chris, Melissa Chen, Michael Shellenberger, Andy Ngo, and Eva Vlaardingerbroek.

"The judicial decision to censor political, ideological, and artistic content on a platform violates Brazil's constitution, which prohibits censorship, and international agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."

ADF International coordinated the initiative and requested the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to intervene urgently against the violation of free speech in Brazil under the American Convention on Human Rights.

Michael Shellenberger, the author and journalist behind "The Twitter Files," is being investigated for a crime due to his reporting on the censorship activities of Brazilian courts.

"I am being investigated by Brazilian authorities for exposing their efforts to censor," he stated in a press release. "Brazil has reached a critical juncture where a single Supreme Court judge holds the power to shut down X in the country."

"Brazilian authorities have created the most oppressive culture of censorship in the western hemisphere under the guise of promoting democracy, despite growing backlash from home and abroad. This is not only bad policy and bad politics, but a blatant violation of basic human rights to ban the speech of their own citizens. It is inconceivable that human beings should be censored and silenced by other human beings simply because they disagree with their speech."

The letter ends by requesting the Brazilian government to uphold the rights of its citizens and "allow the uninhibited exchange of information" so that individuals can voice their opinions "without fear of reprisal."

"The letter states that freedom of expression is not a privilege but a fundamental right in every democratic society. It must be defended whenever it is threatened, regardless of the location."

The public is being encouraged by ADF International to sign onto the open letter.

The censorship situation in Brazil is becoming increasingly severe, making it one of the worst countries in the Americas for restrictions on speech, according to Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International.

"Brazilian authorities are directly violating both Brazilian and international law by clamping down on speech and banning 'X,'" he said. "Every Brazilian has the fundamental human right to free speech, and the global community must hold them accountable."

"It is crucial that we take action to prevent Brazil from continuing down this authoritarian path, as other countries in the West may follow suit and impose strict measures to suppress speech and ban digital meeting places."

The Brazilian government has increased the stakes and reached a new low, according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee.

Brazil has shifted from targeting political opposition on social media to outlawing one of the largest social news platforms and prohibiting Brazilians from accessing it.

He stated that threats to free speech are equivalent to threats to free elections and democracy.